How to Be an Encourager | Sunday Message

Hey there Victor, listening to the great glory part just a ministry supported by harvest partners on Greg Laurie encouraging you if you want to find out more about harvest ministries.

To learn more about how to become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org and I have an encouraging message for you in the title of it is how to be an encourager and were in acts chapter 11 and when a group of frogs that were walking through the forest one day and two of the frogs fell into a pit. All the other frogs looked over the side and they said oh you're as good as dead, you'll never get out of that pit.

But those two little frogs didn't want to stay there and they started jumping and jumping and jumping and they could make their way out in the frogs on top yelled out, you're going to die just give up. There's no way it was so discouraging effect so discouraging that one of the frog just gave up and die, but the other frog would not give up. He kept jumping and jumping and finally much to every frogs surprise he jumped completely out of the pit. The other frog said didn't you hear us. We told us you couldn't get out of the pit and then the little frog said oh sorry him hard of hearing. I thought you were cheering me on. You see we live in a culture right now where there are so many discouraging words so many people think you're not going to make it. You're going to fail me go online and look at all the Internet trolls and the ticketless mean-spirited victory all comments, they'll make this is a discouraging time.

Turn on the news it's even more discouraging.

So what are we to do. It's actually affecting the mental health of our nation, especially young people. No wonder the rates of depression in 14 to 17-year-olds grew from 60% from 2009 to 2017 and it's even, more recently because of COBIT and lockdowns in isolation and all the rest of it suicide rates in young people have more than doubled in a decade, 43% of millennial's intensities report being very concerned about their mental health. That's almost half of them in a recent survey found that half of Americans in general feel alone or left out and over have feel that no one knows them well. Would you go on social media. As I've already mentioned, this is only going to make it worse.

There's a song out by an 18-year-old artist name Olivia Roderigo in the title of it is jealousy.

Jealousy in the lyrics of the song. She sums it up, quote, I, one of throw my phone across the room because all I see are girls too good to be true with paper white teeth and perfect bodies.

I wish I didn't care.

Then she sings in the chorus comparison is killing me slowly. I think too much about kids who don't know me." That's true, but is not just young people feeling this depression.

It's older people as well. There feeling forgotten left out, unappreciated, passed over a many senior adults are seeking hope in a word from someone telling them that their lives matter. Some of lost their physical strength. Others have lost their mate and their struggling with loneliness and suicide is up among older people as well.

Men were 65 and older phase. The highest risk of suicide that statistics surprised me in adults 85 and older are the second most likely group to take their own lives.

So what all these people have in common.

I think what they'll have in common is they need a word of encouragement they need to know that there appreciated that there needed that their love and their cared for and let me personalize it. You need to know that you are cared for. Love and appreciated not only by God who loves you of course. But other people who value you so much, but there's so many discouraging words out there today. It just seems to me like the whole platform of Twitter is just filled with discouragement.

I mean you post a picture of a puppy and people will criticize and attend and fight with you looking. I think sometimes more of fight to get into and so words really matter what we say really matters. I've often said there's an acronym I wish we would apply before we speak.

And before we tweet and the acronym is of course think THINK are you impressed.

I can spell think but T stands for is what you're about to say truthful H is for is it helpful. I is it inspiring and is it necessary J. Is it time again. Is it truthful is it inspiring is it necessary is a time if not don't say if not, don't post it is a Greg if I follow that rule. I wouldn't say anything good to us all a favor and shut up. Stop discouraging people being encourager and scared instead of a discourage or I remember critical words given to me as a young man when I was in high school report crediting get very good grades. I have to tell you, and that the teacher actually wrote these words in my report card, a Greg Laurie spends too much time sitting around staring out the window, daydreaming and drawing cartoons and then there's this like he's never going to amount to anything." Thank you for those words of affirmation funny. I still remember them so many years later, and then I remember when I was in elementary school I did create a lot of trouble.

I'll be honest with you, and they tried to expel me, but my mother one of the principal and said I'll sue you if you'd spell my son so I stayed in school but I was a troublemaker and the other was a teacher in the classroom next to ours who heard of my exploits and that she said publicly to her entire because I would like to take Greg Laurie buried him in the sand in the blazing sun lit and eat him alive. I have to say that was not so discouraging that those can cool at this teacher called me out like that. But words do matter, words, impact, ethos, and others as well. We need to think about what we say to others, so I would assure some encouraging words with you today.

Words that I hope will elevate you and lift you up in, and it does affect your written, interesting article with the title. The most dangerous word in the world. It was actually written by two doctors and they wrote these words in a quote if we were to put you in an MRI scanner and to give video of your brain and flush the word no.

For less than one second, there would be a sudden release of dozens of stress producing hormones and neurotransmitters. These chemicals immediately interrupt the normal function of your brain impairing logic, reason and communication just flashing the word no totally affects you in the way you think and then they going to say yet positive words such as peace and love can alter the expression of genes strengthening areas of the frontal lobes promoting the brain's cognitive functioning is not interesting so they can even show this medically and scientifically the words will impact us and the way that we think the way that we live. You know when Pres. Lincoln was assassinated. They took his belongings that he had with them a pair of spectacles and and much to everyone's surprise, it was a rumpled up a little newspaper article that Lincoln carried with them everywhere and written on this little article from a newspaper were these words. Abraham Lincoln is one of the greatest statesmen of all time."

So even the president of the United States needed to be encouraged from time to time.

Proverbs 2511 says the right word at the right time is like precious gold set in silver, so I want to encourage you right now and were supposed to be encouraging one another. First Thessalonians 511 says encourage one another and build each other up. It does not say discourage one another and tear each other down.

Does it then over in Hebrews 1024 it says let's consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and so much more. As we see the day of the Lord approaching whatever you're going through right now.

I know I'm speaking to somebody going through a very hard time a storm is coming to your life unexpectedly in its turn your world upside down. So here's what I want a CD right now you are going to get through this. There is an occasion in the Gospels where Jesus told his disciples to get in the boat and he said let's cross over to the other side know a great storm came and the disciples began to panic, thinking they were going to die. But Jesus did not say let's go to the middle of the sea of Galilee and drowned together showing. If so, I doubt anyone would've boarded the boat know he said let's go over to the other side. He did not promise them an easy ride, but he promise them a safe arrival. The same is true of us. Whatever you're going through your ultimately going to get through it God's going to finish the work is begun in your life, because he is the author and finisher of your faith, and ultimately will get over to the other side which is heaven. That is a promise to God is given to every one of his followers, but here's some encouraging Bible verses for you.

Let's say you're thinking right now I'm a failure and I can never change, here's God's response to that from Philippians 413 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me know you cannot do this on your own and maybe you have failed.

But God can forgive you, give you a second chance and you can get up on your feet and keep going and do all things through Christ who strengthens you may be someone listening to me right now would cement. I'm just so afraid of the future. But here's what God says in Deuteronomy 31. Be strong and courageous.

Do not fear or be in front of them. For the Lord your God goes with you and he will not leave you or forsake you were told in Timothy God is not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind and that word some I could be translated. A well-balanced and disciplined mind. You might say I can go on another day in this trial that I'm facing. But God's response to you in second Corinthians 12 is what he said to the apostle Paul. When Paul said, Lord, remove this affliction from my life and the Lord responded by grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. You might say I have no future and I have no hope. God says in Psalm 3815. You oh Lord arm.

I hope I put my trust in you. Psalm 130 verse five. I'm counting on the Lord. Yes, I'm counting on him.

I put my hope in his word that's really going to find hope you find it in the word of God, you're probably not going to find it online for the most part you're not going to find it in the newspapers and identified it on the news, you're not gonna find it in so many places, but you'll find it in the word of God. One of my favorite verses about hope, of course, is Jeremiah 2911 where the Lord says I know the thoughts that they think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Okay so speaking of encouragement. I want to introduce you now to a man that could be called Mr. encouragement he was always known for encouraging others up.

He was not a guy who knocked others down. He was a guy who built others up and his name was Barnabas. Actually, it's interesting. His given name was Joseph, but he was nicknamed Barnabas and Barnabas means the son of encouragement or as I would think of it Mr. encouragement. I love that Mr. encouragement if you were going to be summed up in one word, who would you be again.

Barnabas was Mr. encouragement maybe you would be Mr. happy or miss excitement or maybe Mr. Bible, or would you be this cranky, or Mr. critical or as I've said before, would you be Debbie downer or Bobby buzz kill always seen the negative never seen the positive always there with her critical word. Never there was a word of affirmation are you that person always criticizing, always complaining, you might say well I think God is giving me this gift to keep others humble, though he actually hasn't given you the gift that all you're just a mean person, and you're going about it in an un-biblical way. Maybe you should change your name to Karen, but whatever it is we want to be more like Barnabas. Now, having said that, there is a place for criticism, constructive criticism and corrections were even told in Proverbs 27, 6 feet full of the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful, so we want to be that person is a true friend and tells the truth to another friend but don't be known for being a critical person be known for being an encouraging person. If you're going to take the withdrawal of a person through criticism make a deposit through a compliment. So back to Barnabas. We first read of him in the book of acts, after Saul of Tarsus came to faith that we have to understand how radical of an event that was Saul of Tarsus was a notorious sinner.

He was a Christian killer literally hunting down followers of Jesus, men, women and children arresting them taking the machines back to Jerusalem. Many of them were executed. This man was feared in the church, but then, much to everyone's shock Saul of Tarsus meets Jesus on the road to Damascus.

Frankly, a lot of people didn't believe he was really converted. They didn't believe that Saul of Tarsus was now a Christian I don't even know what to compare this to like a modern version of someone you never thought would become a Christian. I think of the Alice Cooper was gone, the know recently and I've interviewed him and people criticized me for doing that all this man is living the darkness and was sure he did live in darkness for many years, but he came to Christ and Jesus delivered him from drug addiction.

Then he put Alice's marriage back together with his beautiful wife Sherilyn and now they speak God for their faith in Jesus Christ, but they all know we don't believe he is a Christian, or take another friend of mine Michael frenzies.

Michael was in the mob.

He was a gangster. He was a made man a good fella if you will, and so Michael was being groomed to become the next Godfather or Dawn of the Colombo family and Doug. I got hold of him. He was arrested sent to prison. He didn't write out any of the people he knew, so he served time in prison, including time in solitary confinement in a guard there in the prison gave Michael a copy of the Bible and Michael began to read it, and his heart was moved and he turned his life over to Jesus Christ and I remember that a many years ago someone came to me and said there's a guy named Michael frenzies he is to be in the Mafia and that he says that he came to Christ and he wants to meet you because as it turns out when Michael was in the hole as he calls it in solitary. He used to listen to messages from me on the radio. So he said he wanted to meet me. First of all I didn't know if I wanted to meet someone from the Mafia. A number two I was thinking if he is from the Mafia.

Did he use the word whack Greg at any point in his statements AI that I don't really want to meet this guy. I don't even know if this guys really converted and then I met him and immediately just minutes after I knew this is a real believer in Jesus Christ. But you know sometimes in the church. We think all that person Be a Christian. That was Saul's problem.

No one believed he was really a follower of Jesus but Ananias, a man was called to pray for Paul, which he reluctantly did within Ananias exits stage left and Paul now is spend 6 to 7 years in Tarsus just growing in his faith, but really not very involved in the church. Enter Barnabas Mr. encouragement to help Saul along that brings me to my first point and encourager sees the potential and others in cheers them on as it turns out, Barnabas took Paul Saul now becoming Paul under his wing and encouraged him.

They wanted missionary journeys together effectively. Barnabas was more the lead guy the more mature guy, but he gave Paul more opportunities to preach and Paul emerged as a powerful preacher of the gospel so Barnabas help Paul reach his potential. Acts chapter 9 verse 26 speaks of it when it says when Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to meet with the believers but they were all afraid of him and did not believe that he had truly become a believer.

So Barnabas brought him to the apostles that told him how solid seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and of the Lord had spoken to Saul and he told them that Saul and preached boldly in the name of Jesus.

So Barnabas have a lot of credibility in the church he puts it all on the line for Saul guys listen to me this guys legit. He's really a Christian.

He really knows the Lord, and I want you to embrace him. How important is that I view Ravenna Barnabas to someone else someday help someone grow or to meet other Christians. You see, Paul could not get the church to embrace him. That's where Barnabas stepped in. You know so many fall through the cracks and make a profession of faith, but they never get grounded. They never get established with other Christians and other Christians are suspicious of them doesn't help when people look askance at us when we walked into a church, how could you be a Christian, you know, you don't look the way we all look a member years ago during the days of the Jesus movement. I've been going to Calvary Chapel and there were all kinds of people there of all ages allow long-haired kids like me would from the Lord and so one day I decided to go to another church. It was a very traditional church. I happen to come in. Toward the end of the service of God that acquire up there and the preacher was in the suit and all the men were in suits and the ladies were just very nicely quite a bit different from the church I was attending at that time were it was a much looser dress code, etc. so I go walking in with my full hippie here. My long bare beard my bellbottoms and all that tin and I noticed everyone was staring at me know.

By the way, I'd heard the end of the pastor's sermon at the old that's good.

I'm looking forward to hearing it. I take my seat literally people are bending over and staring at me while I guess I'm the only person that looks like this in the church.

So the second service begins and the pastor is preaching what seems like a different sermon and I know DC he's looking directly at me and dons me he thinks he has a live hippie center in the church. Anything you need to come to Christ cursing on person here today doesn't know Jesus, you need to make commitment to follow Christ and and and everyone's looking at Megan wait this is he's directing this toward me and then the choir gets up and sings just as I am, and the pastor calls people forward and he's looking at me like wired you up here and finally the pastor literally comes down from the platform. It's a son of you accepted Jesus Christ. That said, yes I have. He seemed very disappointed and so finally the service center disappointed. The hippie then walked forward as I'm walking out everyone as we the following questions. Are you saved yes I am.

Are you coming to the baptism getting baptized. I said I've already been baptized in the last question was are you coming to the church. I see the problem was they did not make me feel welcome and that's how Saul felt when he first came to the church but Barnabas help to bridge the gap and this is what newer believers need to, you know, a younger Christian right now.

They need someone like you to be a Barnabas in their life to encourage them in their faith because people cannot make it as a solo Christian Christian already mentioned that verse in Hebrews when it says let's not forsake. Getting together with other Christians, as some are doing and I think one of the problems of this pandemic is.

Some people got out of the habit of going to church and were glad you're watching online right now, but I strongly urge you to be a part of a church, wherever you are in the world and I know people from all around the world watches.

We of course have a church in Southern California and a church on Malley so we have a campus in Riverside, a campus in Orange County in California than a campus in the Lahaina area of Maui come to one of our services would go to a good Bible teaching church be there in person.

There are things that happen will be gather in person with God's people that are going happen that way online. So I urge you to do that. But there are people falling to the cracks right now and they're not growing spiritually, we need more people like Barnabas to step into the gap so kindly market this spring for me.

I became a Christian in high school I was using drugs at the time my life was going the wrong direction and I had a radical conversion at lunch time and heard the gospel he gave my life to Jesus.

This was 1970 so I didn't know what to do next. That we came up to me and said hey Greg we have a Bible here start reading this Bible. No one said anything to me. No one invited me the church and so literally. I went over to the mountains.

After that, because I'd already planned that weekend to go use drugs and so I went with my friends and no call no.

I believe in Jesus and I'll get high to and I was literally by myself sitting on a rock and I pulled out a bag of weed that was getting ready to smoke some and that seems still small voice that spoke to me. My high school campus only hours earlier spoke to me again and it was the Lord is that you don't need that anymore I thought. I don't even know weren't hearing this with this is coming from.

It's not coming from me because I happen to think I do need this till you don't need this anymore. So I said all right God I don't know anything about you, but I'll make a deal if you're real.

Make yourself real to me.

I'm filled with skepticism and doubt. But I'm open and I took that bag of wheat and threw it out and never look back again so I went back to school and it was a little on study or on-campus Bible study which I went to admit because of this weird jazz speaker who was there that day and I didn't feel comfortable in that group. I didn't understand these other Christians there was a little too much praise the Lord and hallelujah for me, and I thought I was going to be a solo Christian. So I was basically right on the edge of falling away and some guy that I did not know from Adam's house cat comes up to me. His name is Mark says hi my name is Mark. Okay fine your Greg right yes I'm great.

I saw you accept Christ the other day at school tenant defensive yeah I did because I wanted to give the church as of that's okay Mark I don't want to go to church. No, I want you to come to church to be a said Mark really and I don't really want to go, which are addressed Mark as I did I don't want you to come get me. Next thing I know I'm in the car, going to church with Mark because he was persistent.

That's when I walked in the Calvary Chapel that was right in the epicenter of the Jesus movement in southern California and I was surrounded by worshiping people and I took a seat in the front row.

By the way, didn't want to sit in the front row. The place was so packed I couldn't get in and it was kind of relieved but someone in the front row that went to my high school recognizing it's a Greg come sit appears. I'm in the front row and Pastor Chuck Smith comes out and gives a message from the Bible and I was hooked. Then I was going to church as many times as I could, who made the different ago you probably don't know it all's name was Mark.

He was my Barnabas can you be that Mark or Barnabas for somebody else listen, we are all called to do this is not just for the preachers over the missionaries were all as followers of Jesus, called to go undo the all the world and make disciples of all nations nations teaching them to observe all things, a crisis commanded baptizing them in the name of the father son and the Holy Spirit. And then Jesus says hello I am with you, even to the end of the age.

Contextually, in the original language. The implication is he is with us in a special way. When we are doing what he is asked us to do over going into all the world and making disciples taking people under our wing and helping them jut up on their feet and grow spiritually and you do it over and over again. See Barnabas did this for Saul, later to become Paul and it made all the difference in the world you know somebody maybe that's stumbled spiritually and they don't know how to get up again. This is where you come in being encourager James 519 says brothers if one of you should wander from the truth and someone bring him back. Remember, this whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover a multitude of sins. Listen to this. When a person has stumbled and fallen. They don't necessarily need a preacher they need in encourager they need someone to help them along. They need someone to just be there.

The skull the ministry of presence. Maybe you know someone who is suffering right now. Maybe there in a hospital. Maybe there in a convalescent home. Maybe they're isolated somehow they need you to be there for them. Even Jesus when he was in the garden of Gethsemane said to Peter, James and John we you just be with me sometimes just being with people and letting them know you love them, make makes all the difference in the world and listen to this. Paul reminds us in the book of Corinthians that the sufferings of Christ flow over in our lives in order that through Christ comfort over flow of the King James version puts it this way, we comfort with the comfort we been converted with us. I wouldn't wish my childhood on anyone but God is given it to me as a tool to help other people or going through rough times. You know my son Christopher went to be with the Lord 2008. If I could bring him back. I would do it in a moment, but I don't have the ability to do that is David said of his son, who died, he will not come to me that I will go to him. But here's what I decided to do. I decided to not waste my pain when you go through a hardship.

You have a choice. You can become better or better. I've chosen to become better and I've chosen to use it as a tool and hardly a week goes by when I don't talk to one or two people who have lost a loved one and of reached out to me and I try to help them to the best of my ability.

I don't have any great answers for them, but I've been down that road. I'm still going down that road and I encourage them with the same encouragement that is come to me, so let me encourage you if you're going through a hardship right now because there is nothing as refreshing as encourage as an Encouraging Word or deed. It's like a fresh drink of water on a hot summer day. Proverbs 2525 says good news from far away is like cold water to the thirsty I think encouragement may be the greatest need in our world today and I hope the you been a little encourage from this message number two if you want to be in encourager help other Christians grow in their faith. If you want to be in encourager and help other Christians grow in their faith. I mentioned that Barnabas took Paul under his wing took him on his missionary journeys all emerged as really the better preacher of the two, the more well received. Of the two. Frankly, Barnabas and Paul had a little bit of a conflict will get to that later. The book of actually had conflicts in arguments and disagreements even in the first century church and they parted ways, but the key is to parted ways.

This friend still but really Barnabas had done his job.

What is our job again. It's to make disciples of other Christians and to take the young believer get them growing. Help them develop disciplines of Bible study and prayer, and being involved in the church, and so forth. And then go to it again. It's like washed, rinse, repeat preach disciple preach again. That's our job. Barnabas did his job well. So here's one more instance of Mr. encouragement and action from acts chapter 11. So as it turns out God was working mightily.

Lots of people were coming to Christ they heard about it in Jerusalem, and the leader said let's send Mr. encouragement to go give them a hopeful word so we read in acts 1122 when the church at Jerusalem heard wouldn't happen. They sent Barnabas to Antioch and we arrived and saw the evidence of God's blessing.

He was filled with joy and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. I love this little commentary on Barnabas. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith, and many people are brought to the Lord, what a great message. Mr. encouragement brought to the believers there, and Antioch. He said stay true to the Lord and let me encourage you to do the same. Right now, states true to the Lord whatever you going through. Hold your course. Continue on in your relationship with Christ.

Maybe you're feeling down or discourage right now I want you to know that God is here ready to step in the your life and he's bigger then your problem ready to see you through ready to walk with you through your valley some 23 is one of my favorite passages from the Bible. And David writes yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil why David he goes on to give the answer for you are with me your rod and your staff they comfort me. So whatever valley you're going through right now the Lord is with you. If you are a Christian know God is here, and omnipresent in a broad sense for every person but he is only involved actively in the life of his children and how do you become one of his children. You think I have to be born in a Christian family know you need to be born again.

Jesus said you must be born again, a by the way, said that to a very religious man named Nicodemus and Nicodemus was born again in this life was changed in your life can be changed as well baby I'm talking to someone that is depressed and down. You even thought of taking your own life. Let me say this to you don't take your life. Give your life to Jesus Christ and now you're going to find the life you been looking for.

Jesus said if you want to find life than lose your life and follow me with that simply means is put God first in your life and he'll show you what the purpose of your life is in. He'll guide you and he'll fill that void in your life because here's your problem. Our problem the problem of humanity. We've all said, we've all fallen short of God's glory. We've all broken his commandments, and were separated from God that since he got big giant barrier that keeps us away from God and we may try to reach him through good works, or religion, or other things but we cannot scale this wall that's bad news. Here's a good news 2000 years ago God loved us so much he sent his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sin and then to rise again from the dead Christ died for our sins. The Bible says no, we will turn from our sin and asked Jesus Christ to come into our life and forgive us and then be born again, we can start this new relationship with the Lord.

Let me encourage you to do that right now the moment I'm in a prayer simple prayer is nothing magical in this prayer that I'm about to pray but it's a prayer that you can pray where you're asking God to forgive you of your sin. You're asking Christ to come into your life. So if you want to go to heaven when you die if you want to fill that hole in your heart if you want your sins forgiven. Or maybe you fallen me want to get up again spiritually started walking with the Lord as you did at one time in your life that I want you to pray this prayer with me right here right now.

Maybe you're all alone.

Maybe you're in a room or some other people but if you want Jesus to come into your life. Pray this prayer you can print out loud if you like you can praise in the quietness of your heart. If you choose to pray these words Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for me. I turn from my sin and I choose to follow you now be my Savior and Lord, thank you for sharing this prayer in Jesus name I pray a met everybody. Thanks for listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it.

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