Lift - How to Become an Awesome Encourager, Part 2

Today we wrap up our series on the awesome power of encouragement and the apostle Paul is going to give us some spiritual nuggets that are second to none. If you want to learn about some attitudes that build great Christians stay with us. Welcome to this Monday edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram Living on the Edge features the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram on this daily discipleship program. And today Chip wraps up the series lift the awesome power of encouragement know anything about it. Wouldn't the world be a better place if more of us knew how to be a truly encouraging person.

That's exactly what you're going to learn about today just before we get started on me remind you that if you don't get to hear all of today's program it and this entire series of messages. In fact, available on the Chip Ingram map. Okay, let's join Chip Bell for part two of his message. How to become an awesome encourager from first Thessalonians chapter 5 final thing is were to be patient with all men never heard that phrase guys really short tempered business word is the opposite of that. You'd say if you if you know this word is a man I guys really long tempered.

I not said that about many people.

Anything that 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 telling once you tell him again. They blow it for the second time, telling the third blow to third you say what is it about this, you're not getting and 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 you, how does he say make sure that no one make sure you 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 you do the least thirsty in the 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 in 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, and so what we have here is some attitudes that build phenomenal churches you have a group of leaders who work hard, lean well and admonish wisely and you have a group of Congregational people who say our heart of hearts were in a respective esteem and and be at peace with them and then you have a whole church that says you know people that are stepping outside the boundaries that are unhealthy for weatherworn, we care enough to confront in this place. This people there Lieut. Anita a little boost will give them a boost. Those people that are weak and insupportable support and those people that drive us crazy will be patient, we will hang in there in our own strength. No way in the power of God. Those kind of attitudes build the kind of church that you have to bar the doors so that we get a seat this week because when you and when I can love people that way and one another is contagious.

What you require.

It requires the hardest thing for me in the world I have to get my focus off of me. My needs and coming here saying now can't anyone see my needs. Why did anybody say hi to me. No one stop me on the way out to anyone not notice that my wife hasn't been here for a few weeks or my husband is anyone notice that I have does anybody care. I know when I live with that. What happens I die. But there's someone here regardless of how deep your needs are their needs about that much deeper and you will find the great principle of our Lord. Is this blessed are those who give more than those who receive you find someone hurting a little bit more than you and you come here with that outward focus and all of a sudden all those needs are legitimate that you have God in a supernatural way will meet well, let's talk about how that works. Let's looking out the attitudes, the apostle Paul ends with, but Christians need to have Heidi build great Christians. He told us how to build great church, but what attitudes you need had to be a great Christian to be a real courage he's going to give a word here about our private worship in verses 16 to 18 that is going to give us a word about our public worship and that is to talk about our spiritual growth. Let's look at private worship first verse 16 through 18. Be joyful always pray continually, or without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances.

Why, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. When it's short is and if it did notice three quick commands be joyful when when things are going well. Happiness has to do with happenings, circumstances, joy has a do with the unchanging relationship you have with God fact the root word where we get our word joy.

Some of the related words are words like grace. Words like one translation for one word in the New Testament for forgiveness.

Words like gifts. See joy is a choice you say will.

How can I be joyful all the time. Let me give you two practical ways.

One focus on God instead of circumstances you focus on circumstances, you will ride a rolling coaster of ups and downs.

You know when things are going good when things are going bad. If you focus on God. He loves you.

Your eternity is secure. He is good he is sovereign, he is faithful. You matter to him. He's not down on you.

He wants to draw you close to himself. He has a plan for your life. Choose willfully to be joyful.

How focus on God's that your circumstances second focus on the unseen instead of the scene when Celeste commented that you ever think about that. Think, think about some things that are. You can't see. Think about the special person in your life that you know really loves you. Can you see we see some action, but you don't see love you don't see relationships.

Think of the most special times I just did a funeral about 1012 days ago and people came up and shared about Jim's life and you know is interesting.

I sat there I thought see no one talked about what he drove no one talked about the 401(k) program that he had no one talked about what kind of dresser. He was whether he was a good athlete or not, no one talked about how many people reported to her how he wore his hair or what his physique was like what they talked about his love is compassion. They talked about his relationship all the things you can't say you see when we focus on the things that you can't see see those are eternal things all the things you can see her here today to be gone tomorrow.

Second, he says, beyond being joyful always pray continuously you so awaited when Ross was to quit our jobs find a little kneeler somewhere and just pray 24 hours a day to eat. I can pray 24 hours a day job to do, drive the car.

The word for continuously without ceasing is used in other literature for a hacking cough. Here's how God wants us to pray that you do some else not get to do something else when someone has a hacking cough going to take off. They cough every time they're not either speaking or breathing or doing something essential, but the moment there's a little window. What happens you cough you see the life that God wants for you has nothing to do with coming once a week here and hearing the word and and even being involved in service.

It has way more to do than once or twice a day reading your Bible and praying the life God has for you is he wants to have a moment by moment relationship with you 24 hours a day when you're wake.

The psalmist even said that God gives to him, even asleep and so he wants you to be talking with him when the focus of the job doesn't demand you when this conversation doesn't demand you so you drive in your car and your thoughts gravitate toward God and you talk with him and you take a walk from your car out of the office building at a meeting say Lord Paladino about this when I'm really concerned about talk about and you picked up the kids in your car in there jabbering away in your have a conversation with God. Now some of you don't do too much of this on the road is dangerous. My wife says my prayer life make a lot of progress with my driving has a lot to be desired, and shall save did you see that nothing I sent a good conversation but probably wasn't the right time right now. I read a book by a young a monk out of the 15 or 16 century, Brother Lawrence, the little tiny paperback.

I don't even know if it's available anymore.

Start practicing the presence of God. That book had a profound impact. It's about a monk in that time. He learned when he would peel potatoes in the kitchen. That was his job. He did is an act of worship.

And as he would walk out and do the gardening that he was supposed to do. He did as an act of worship and all day long he would communicate with the Lord and I begin to realize that spiritual maturity is and how many persons you have memorized is not how many activities you're involved in the part of spiritual maturity is measured. Best Buy how long is it been since you've written been conscious of your relationship with God. I member talk with God in the morning and then check in at night and you know I don't know what he did not know what I did as I begin to grow in Christ. It was like planning thought about the Lord.

Three or four hours.

As I begin to grow in Christ is like talk to learn 15 or 20 minutes and pretty soon God begins to cultivate a heart and a life where it is talking with him all the time. That's what he saying this is private worship you choose to be joyful you choose to pray in the notice finally gets even more difficult.

Give thanks when in all circumstances.

We know that when were filled with the Holy Spirit, according to Ephesians 518 to 21 when you're filled with the Holy Spirit will give thanks for all things. With this says all things as well. Why you do that, because it's the will of God.

Now, I don't think at all. This means the trite things that I've seen go on. I've seen people in some groups where you give thanks for everything and there was in praise the Lord like they don't mean it that really bothers me when you need to get in there and that and her with people and cry with people go through it but at some point in time you got a step back some point in time is my friend who's in a wheelchair now because of an accident that took me about a year to learn to say thank you for such. If you don't know what God's doing.

You assume that the greatest thing my whole life could be being able to wrestle in college and ride bikes and do the stuff we did is in your ear angry God. I'm not angry God. He said he's done things in my life that sure what I like to walk again. You bad, but I wouldn't trade this one is no, I wouldn't trade this have any idea what God's done see God wants us to willfully thank him for all things and in all things.

But here's the only way you can do it. Go back to the basics. God is good. That means not because your good not on the basis of your performance. That means that there is a benevolent God with a gracious heart that wants to bless you and encourage you that you live under friendly skies and he longs to be your friend.

He's good every day, every moment. 24 hours a day and he sovereign, that means that anything that comes into your life is either decreed by God or allowed by God. That means there's no accidents, no slip-ups, no lock key is good and once your best. He sovereign so he either allows or decrees. And finally, you need to remember he's faithful whatever he's purposed to do whatever promise he made 100% of the time with you always. He will come through and so when you face the issues of life that don't make any sense. You don't glibly say praise the Lord, but you step back and say, oh God, this is a fallen world and life doesn't make sense but I know you're good and here's the evidence. I know that you're sovereign and I know that faithful and as an act of worship and obedience. I choose to. Thank you, to bring out the highest in the best, even if others cause this by evil motives. Those kind of people. By the way, are the kind that when I'm hurting or when you're hurting you go talk to but I described as Christians who have a private worship life of joy, prayer and thanksgiving because it's God's will and the person that changes when you operate like that your private worship is not your circumstances. These are the Corrie 10 boom's of life. The regular people sitting in front of you and behind you that live this way and when you're hurting. We go to them because there is stability in character that is grown up. Because public impact is just a symptom. Public impact always flows out of private worship morning.

Have a great impact for God begins with choosing to rejoice praying without ceasing, and learning to give thanks when you can do that by faith. You will learn who God really is and he will make you what he want you to be well he moves on now to public worship and apparently during this time they were having some problems and you know in some church in the New Testament, the people got carried away with some issues and in this church.

Apparently they were kind of pooh-poohing some of the work of God and so we pick up in verses 19 to 22 it says do not put out the Spirit's fire were literally don't quench the Spirit in the grammar means stop. It was Artie having stop clenching the spirit do not treat prophecies with contempt or don't despise them, is the idea of the word means to act as if it were nothing but notice verse 21 test everything examined you come the public worship. He says the spirit of God is enemy operating he may be operating through a song may be operating to the spoken word. He may operate in the hallway over a cup of coffee he may operate in a class he may operate through a variety of spiritual gifts come and don't quench the spirit will I quench the spirit we quench the spirit anytime. I know God is speaking to me it's his will and I say no.

Don't ever pour cold water on what God is firing up and so what's he telling a series as we need to be open to the spirit and then he says, treat prophecies, what be receptive to the word prophets job is to foretell the word and then in the New Testament times. Here they would foretell the word as well.

It's prophecy. Jesus is coming back, the rapture, that was all foretelling, but their primary job was to foretell to teach now not to make you all too uncomfortable but God actually does want to speak to you often.

Some of the promptings of God from the spirit of God in my own life have come during the worship time there. Some of you. I don't have pay this you've never heard the first two songs of worship because you're not here and you need to prepare yourself for public worship.

That means you get ready and maybe even have some time to get your heart ready, but it means you come with a mindset that says God is going to speak to me today, not just to the message he may turn your life around through a phrase in the song or a prompting from the spirit or from the testimony and he may actually had have someone he wanted you to meet out in front of five or six till that you would speak a word of encouragement to the life as I would encourage you not as a move.

Shame on you that's not it. I just don't understand. To preach the passage.

What's it say says be open to the spirit. Be receptive to the word seems to me that you can't do it if you not hear when we start and then it says be discerning and selective basis, tested when you hear anything from any pulpit we hear anything from any teacher or preacher, radio, TV, whatever. The first thing you need to do is be like, acts 1711 that group. The brilliance they received the word of God, gladly examining the Scriptures daily to see whether those things were so. Just because Chip Ingram says it heaven forbid you bind think it's true. May I have off days, you need to find you need to look at the Scriptures and I don't care who you like every every call starts out with some guy was on the right track and people start following the person is have the Scriptures and innately take some of the ditching he's in the ditch and all groups in the ditch. Don't ever do that you tested. The word means like taking a piece of horror metal you tested with passing you find out, and that's fools gold. What you do you let that go and you hold onto the legit. That's what God wants you to do and every public worship setting.

Be open to the movement of the spirit of God. Be receptive to the word examine it for yourself, and then that which is true, hold onto that which isn't than avoid. That's the idea hold off letting go. Finally, he's good to talk about her spiritual growth under spiritual growth here. He's gonna tell us that there's two big areas we need to remember one is we need to be dependent and ever-growing lesser dependent on God, but that is to flip the coin and say you're also responsible verse 23 and 24 is a prayer. He says my God himself, the God of peace sanctify. That means to set apart making holy you through and through.

So where is God when making holy room and through your mind, your thoughts, your motives every area at work at home. Everything will notice he develops that he says may your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless.

People are holy. When until the coming were at the coming of our Lord Jesus, who has been accomplish this great miraculous change, the one who calls you is faithful.

He will. You can change your life. I can't change my life. We just can't do it but you say to yourself, does that mean that you still do anything now. In fact, look in verses 25 to 28 were to be dependent, trusting him to do the work but we need to make ourselves available. How he gives us grace. Notice how he concludes this he says brothers pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss face as I charge you Solomon is a strong word, I solemnly charge you before God to have this read this epistle, the word to all the believers summary grace of our Lord Jesus be with you into something it's interesting he says be dependent only God can bring about the change. But then the apostle Paul himself would seems to be pretty mature Christians when I tell he says, pray for us. He needed the prayers of people and he knew people need to pray. Greet one another with a holy kiss know this went out of fashion between third and fourth century used Christians would greet one another with a holy kiss and you know everything how to go south. Over time, so they they had some a lot of men beginning to visit the church thing, man, this is a part is supporting a grouping out their head on a ladies rail you know and so there them in your kiss, and all these women to the church fathers. What about the third century said that kissing stuff were not acts were not doing that anymore. But what was the idea behind its warm, intimate, caring relationships, what is that biblical fellowship and then the third one to say I charge you have this read the word you see you can't change you. Only God can change you, but he doesn't do it in a vacuum.

He have this read when the word is read and taught grace flows when you pray, and talk to God. Honestly, individually or with others.

Grace flows when you're in fellowship in a small group work out in the parking lot you really share hearts and care for one another.

Grace flows it's not either or, were dependent totally on him. But we need to avail ourselves of how grace comes. That's how to be an awesome encourager. Chip will be right back with a final thought about just joining us, you're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram the chips message how to become an awesome encourager is produced series lift the awesome power of encouragement in this series chip opens the book of first Thessalonians to teach us what biblical encouragement looks like you'll learn how to help a fellow believer overcome feelings of discouragement will discover how to bring out the very best of the people around you and you learn how to give hope to someone who feels hopeless the series not only equips you to serve others, but it will strengthen you with the same time but hope to get started really encouraging others we've temporarily discounted all of the series resources for lift and don't forget chips, message notes, chips, free message notes help you dig deeper when you use them to study long as you listen to order your copy of lift or to download chips message notes just jump online to LivingontheEdge.org will ship your message today. How to be an awesome encourager, maybe think about our kids we got young people leaving the church leaps and bounds because they've never establish their own personal faith convictions.

It really takes the encouragement of engaged parents engaged grandparents in order for them to do that to what's Living on the Edge doing to help.

Will Dave, I just have to tell you I am so excited because we do create tools here Living on the Edge and we developed a brand-new tool. It's called discuss this erratic it just like a deck of playing cards, others 52 of them and they have their discussion starters. In other words, what happens is values are more caught than taught values and thinking happen in a process and so what we done with these 52 cards is sometimes will ask a question that get a conversation going, it could be in the car. It could be one on one time with one your kids.

It could be at bedtime more often. You know around the dinner table for example, one of the card says you think the Bible is 100% true.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being strong, one being weak and why it's a gastric kids do you believe it's hundred percent true and if they say oh yes, maybe they're young and why.

And then when you see that puzzled look. All of a sudden now you got a discussion going. Or maybe think it is seven and that's it. Well, I think most of it will now why see what you want to do is not just give a bunch of information and fill your kids heads you want to start a dialogue and you want to teach him to think sometimes the cards addressed directly to the parent and so it says as a parent share a time when God vividly answer to prayer and so you read that card and that in the car around the supper table.

You begin to describe this time of when God did this really amazing answer to prayer in your life. And then the next part of the says will.

How did you feel and you begin to express part of your life will here we go.

Now we have a discussion going and so we taken 52 key things that will get discussions going that you really need to talk about and are you ready some of these are these controversial issues that you really need to start talking to your kids about way earlier than you think. Discuss this. I think you'll love them today or strip will not only do we have these brand-new discuss this card's book 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 cards on marriage that works biblical living from the Gospel of John in a beautiful set of affirmation cards for women struggling with self-image or self-worth issues and we got some time on this but when you think about Christmas isn't really that far away. These card sets would make perfect stocking stuffers or little gifts to let me encourage you to take advantage of the current discounts on each of our truth card packets for all the details and to order your sets today. Just go to our website LivingontheEdge.org or give us a call at 1888333600310. The final thought. Here's chip will we are at the end of the series.

We've been through the entire book of first Thessalonians and the apostle Paul has modeled for us and written for us. Inspired by the Holy Spirit how to be an awesome encourager.

We need to remember that people are hurting much more deeply than we know and we have far more to give than we generally show and those two dynamics need to be out in the forefront of her mind because encouragement is that little bridge between people's needs and their potential.

It's that bridge between where they're at today and where they can be and where God wants him and see God's made us as a body where I can't make it on my own and you can't make it on your own, you know, as I read to the New Testament.

Every single time you find a command it's in the second person plural. What I mean by that is sort of the Texas expression. The apostle Paul never says you individual walk with God be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Do this or do that.

It's always like a Texan would talk you all he speaking to a group all these commands all that we've heard all this written God's plan is that in community we grow in Christ. And so as we finished out today.

How does that happen. One, it begins with your own private worship. Be joyful always pray continuously give thanks in all circumstances. Yes, you must, and I must cultivate that personal time with God.

We pray throughout the day where there's a time regularly where you get in the Bible. But second, there's gonna be public worship and that's where were open to the spirits work and were receptive to the word and were discerning and selective about what we hear. We tested just because I say something or another Bible teacher says something you take it and say doesn't line up with God's word and when you have private worship public worship in unity. You can see spiritual growth occur in your life and the life of others just before we close oversight. Thanks to those of you who are helping us share the truth of God's word by making monthly donations to the ministry of Living on the Edge your regular contributions help us plan and the commitments we couldn't otherwise do so. You're making a huge difference helping other Christians live like Christians if you're enjoying the benefits of Living on the Edge, but aren't you giving would you prayerfully consider joining the team today. You can set up a recurring donation by visiting our website LivingontheEdge.org or by giving us a call at 1-888-333-6003 and thanks for doing whatever the Lord leads you to do what I hope you make plans to join us again tomorrow. Chip begins a new series of power for children, this is Dave really saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge