Lift - How to Lift Up Those Who Are Down, Part 2

You feel confused discourage you really wonder right now whether it's really worth walking with God. If you need some help. Stay with us is on the way, thanks for joining us for this Wednesday a vision of Living on the Edge with shipping Living on the Edges of international teaching and discipleship ministry featuring the Bible teaching of tripping through nature continues a series lift the awesome power of encouragement. Discouragement is a favorite tactic of Satan is to get people down. The apostle Paul, which is why he incurred the Thessalonians to engage and help those were down by remembering that the work of God in the past is what provides perspective to keep going in the present. So, let's dig in Georgia for part two of this message, how to lift off those who are down from first Thessalonians chapter 2. Notice in verses three through six. He reminds them of the character of the messengers he Timothy and Silas.

He says for our exhortation does not come from air or impurity, or by way of deceit.

But just as we been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. So we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts we never came with flattering speech. As you know gets what you can put a box around nor with a pretext for greed.

God is our witness nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ, we might have asserted our authority put a box around as you know, in verse five.

Next, he reminds them of the ministry they receive in verses seven through 11 egos, but we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her children having fossil fond affection for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives. Why because you had become very dear to us. Verse nine.

Put a box around the next phrase or you recall brethren are labor and hardship how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you. We proclaim to you the gospel of God. Notice verse 10, you are witnesses.

What it reminds them put a box around that you are witnesses.

And so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and Lane Leslie would behave toward you. Believers just as verse 11.

You know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each of you as a father would his own children. Why Paul reminds them of the results in their lives when they receive the message so that are resulting in that you may walk in a manner worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory not just by way of doing a Bible study.

By the way, this is what I do all read a passage over and over and over, and any concept that is repeated, then I'll circle it or underline it. Look at verse one, you yourselves know verse two. You know, skip down to verse five.

As you know, skip down to verse nine for you.

Recall verse 10 you are witnesses.

Verse 11. You know are you getting the idea that possibly the apostle Paul writing to these people whose faith is being undermined that he wants them to remember something. Could this be a possibility. Why see there's something extremely powerful about remembering what we tend to do is see the problem on the horizon and it doesn't have to be very big. But as the problem gets closer and closer and closer. What happens we lose perspective and we lose sight of all of this, let alone all that happened behind us and one of the great ways to get perspective is to pull that problem back in light of history and what God has done and who he is and what you've experienced that all of a sudden this little pebble to deal with but when you're looking at it right through here looks pretty big doesn't and so the apostle Paul is going to teach the Thessalonians.

Remembering God's work in the past is the key to getting perspective for doing his will, in the present. That's what is teaching, and now I like to do is I like to give you for key principles to help people who are faltering. Here's how to help them first thing I think you need to do is help them remember the day. Just remember that phrase remember the day you got a friend you got a son you got a doddering Amani got a daddy got a brother.

He had a sister whoever it is. Help them remember the day they came to Christ. Remember the day that you were say it will give perspective and encourage others whatever he can do encourage them to remember the day they were saved. Second principle here is not only remember the David Paul says remember the people we need to remember the people that God used in our life because when our faith is a little shaky bringing back to mind those people and remembering their character and remembering. Later their love will help us get perspective, see that's what the apostle Paul and we need to ask and help people were discourage asking whose life has the most credibility and how do you want your life to turn life lesson ministry to others is a sacred stewardship might jot that down ministry to other people.

For us as believers is a sacred stewardship. Our motives must match our message see the fact the matter is that some of us are sharing our faith some people coming to Christ and right now when a person's picture comes to their mind about his health and spiritually unit is pictured is its years. Nothing to go through some rough times. Later in your picture pops up in their mind will they be able to say all that woman that man that student.

They were straight shooter. They really lived out what they said final point.

Under this is the credibility of the message is intrinsically linked to the integrity of the messengers, how many have a close friend who is fallen away or slipped away from the Lord because they put a lot of stock in a person, whether be a pastor. Whether be a business person, whether be someone who help in spiritually and now that person has gone south spiritually and that person says to you a I gave it up after that, you know anybody like that. I do through the ministers in this church, it's us right leaders are equipped verse.

Every member is a minister.

You are a minister. So guess what the integrity of the message.

The credibility of the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is intrinsically linked to the integrity of your life, not some moral weight is now if you feel overwhelmed good. You should that's what I want to keep me and you on our knees, saying, oh God I deal with tough people I deal with thousands or millions of dollars. I've got all kind of responsibility at my work and there's people here in ministry. They all to me and I can measure up, and I'm inadequate great depth. Apostle Paul said, for these things but he is and so you stay dependent you cry out to God one data time is a God given the supernatural power to significantly live out my life and when I blow it. Don't let me think it let me go back to people tell them where I blew it. Make it right and go on. People don't need perfect models, but they need room and so we learn help people remember the day. Help them remember the people that had impact in third help them remember the love when people's faith is starting to falter when I get not down there discourage they feel inadequate and have some doubts may need to remember the P love them because we forget that Paul gives us two metaphors here verse seven through 11 metaphor one as he said we loved you with a mother's love metaphor to we loved you with my father's love.

The first is tender and compassionate and sacrificial giving away your life and going for broke.

The second one is instructive encouraging, even rebuking when necessary to keep you on the straight arrow follow along pieces but we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. The word tenderly cares, literally. It's to warm the apostle Paul says the picture comes to your mind when you see a tiny little newborn baby against the breast of her mother and the and the security that maybe feels how we feel about you. That's how we loved you. Verse eight he says why having thoughts of fond affection for you.

This wasn't a job we were preachers having thoughts of fond affection.

We loved you we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel but one but our own lives because you have become very dear to us. The people that you know that are struggling need to remember there's people that have loved them deeply and sacrificially. There's people living over at their house late at night and pray through the night and met him at the hospital has struggled with doubts verse nine because on free recall, brother, and our labor in our hardship and how we working night and day is not to be a burden that ideas financially if any of you. We proclaim to you the gospel of God, you are witnesses. And so is God. Verse 10 of how devoutly it means holy cow uprightly.

It means morally pure. And how blamelessly beyond reproach. We behave toward you believers house just as you know we were exhorting, encouraging and imploring each one of you metaphor as a father does in children.

You study the three words there amazing.

We were encouraging we were cheerleaders we were.

The data that you can make inside something in there only about just sending drug not understand least among all. It's all right. I know it's tough pagan temples get up and do it again and then we comforted we cry like a dad does at times and in the final word we implored. We encourage there's a sense of urgency.

We stood up and said hey you're playing games with God step up to the Dag on plate and walk with God and say no to sin and do what you know is right. See that's what dad does the apostle Paul says that's what we did for you.

He said your you feel like your faith is on shaky ground. Remember the day that your saved number two. Remember the messengers remember the people that God used in your life. Third, remember the love. Remember the love that you received.

Why would God let go of you now. Why falter wind down. Why question.

If God loves you that much in the past. Application help others as you meet with them this week as you write letters as you call people on the phone as you line up a lunch appointment and I'm encouraging it to do that remind them of the time and the meals in the counseling.

The financial help and encouragement in the childcare and the friendship they received from those administered Christ to that's mother's love and remind them of the instruction and the truth in the Bible studies and the challenge and the spurring on and even the rebuke and the correction they receive from those administered Christ to them.

And that's father's love help people remember how they been ministered to and the little life lesson here ministry is messy. Ministry is very messy. Ministry isn't about trance mission of informational teaching ministry is about wholehearted involvement in the trenches of life where you go through it with people and you love a mentally mature and you go down with the downs up with the ups and down with the downs and up Bob's finish times were you love embrace encouraging comfort in a time to sit down and say if you really don't mean business with God.

Once you let me know because I don't play games and God is one, play games, what you're doing is wrong in the last three or four times we met, you asked for help, and all you're doing is whining. If you want help. I want to give it.

If not least, get honest, okay, that's ministry, it's involvement in the apostle Paul says if you can help people remember the day that day there saved.

If you can help people remember the people and been significant. And remember how deeply they been love you know what happens to their little problems there faltering faith. They get small. I mean, more talk about a God he's done this much in the past. He surely can help make it through this final thing he says it. Remember the transformation in your life. He reminded the Thessalonians.

Hey, not only when I came how you came to Christ not only the character against all the slander and attack you here when we were above reproach and not only did we stay up late and help you and love you and care for you like a mother but he says you know Thessalonians wanted to just, you know, rewind the tape. Your life is changed you've been transformed. Notice verse 12 he says this imploring this encouraging this exhorting like a father, his own children. Notice verse 12 so that when you see that in English. It can either mean purpose or can mean result in this case, grammatically it means resolve. It has the idea so that, or resulting in you may walk in a manner worthy of God who calls you in his own kingdom and glory. He basically says so that we encourage we love. We helped so that you have the power and the ability along with the desire to live out a new life even as you already are. And he tells him back. When we came in town before he heard the gospel. Now think of all that time.

Now think of who you are here now look at the difference between your life here and there, your relationships between here and there.

Your joy level between here and there, the peace in your heart between here and there and you know something we need to remind people in our midst of how much God is changing. You know who the last person is. This is another life lesson. The person whose last to know how much Christ is changing their life is the person inside the body.

Walking around because most of us when we do, even though were changing. All we see is the crud that still needs cleanup always sees the problems still need you no attention. And so we give our focus to that we need to be little nearest one another.

We need to verbalize one another menu making progress. While we are you are you starting to talk to your wife and kids like that used to be pretty insensitive while we you know that issue you asked me to pray. About three months ago with your husband is amazing the change. I see in your countenance is indifferent.

The discipline I see in your life. Your concern for other people that I hear you verbalizing your faith in living it out. It is amazing what I see in your life, but it happened so gradually doesn't okay back to square one. People are hurting more than we know more than they ever show right and you have more to offer than you know and more than you show find that person if they be in your own home. If they're in your Bible study. If you're in ministry with them if their mom and dad a brother a sister and uncle, a coworker I'm gonna ask you to fan out in each one of us choose one person and say whether it's over lunch. A letter, a phone call and email. I'm gonna guide this person to remember the day that they were safe and relive when they do a lot for I'm going to guide this person and get out on the element missing start asking questions about the people who had the most impact in their life. I'm going to do something over the phone around the table where I get them to remember how deeply God is actually love them through other people, and then I'm going to make some very honest objective not blowing smoke comments about the con create supernatural Christlike character that I see in their life. They didn't used to be there. People won't tell you something if you bow your head tonight and asked God to bring you named your mind and if you this week will take steps to help that person. Remember God's faithfulness in the past, then they will get perspective to do what do his will.

In the present when our faith is slandered, remembering the work of God in our past is what provides perspective to do the will of God in the present.

That's what the apostle Paul did for the Thessalonians and that's what he wants to do for us and what he wants us to do for others will be right with a final thought about it if you're just joining us, you're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram the chips message how to lift up those who are down produce series lift the awesome power of encouragement in the 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 help you 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 along as you listen to order your copy of lift or to download chips message notes just jump online to LivingontheEdge.org your trip. I'm going to speak for what I'm guessing you are the majority of us here.

I do want to be helpful and encouraging the people, but it's hard to know exactly what to say. Sometimes, so when it comes right down to it I don't always engage like I could regarding chips. 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.

So we develop some very specific tools to help ordinary people like you and me really encourage people they love it back up 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 their really beautiful and we make these cards available for women in your life. It could be a daughter, a could be a mom could be a niece but a woman in your life that you realize needs encouragement as others 20 cards that are the Connick topmast beliefs that women have.

And then there's the truth.

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 like 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 the perfect 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, and our latest set discuss this designed to help parents and grandparents engage with their kids in meaningful conversation about faith issues and Christian values to let me encourage you, yes, 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 online to our website LivingontheEdge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 will now here's chip with a final thought. I want to end today's broadcast by talking to disciple makers that you know who you are, your parent, your teacher, your pastor, you're the leader in the parachurch organization, your small group leader how you're involved in a high school group near some other high school kids that you're trying to help this passage today market well is one of the strongest, clearest models for discipleship at all. The Bible notice when we talked in verses seven through 11. The soft side of discipleship and the hard side to be a gentle mother as you are helping people as your thinking about how you want people to grow in Christ. You need to keep in balance. The soft side and the hard side of developing people knows the apostle Paul says we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly caring for her children. People are hurting, we need to be tender.

We need to be understanding.

Ministry is messy. It takes time, it means there's long nights. It means you put your arm around people you affirm them when they fail, you let them know you have failed you.

Let them know God forgives strong on the soft side but too many discipling relationships end up with only the soft side listen to me carefully parents. There's also the strong side as a father, and then you notice what he said. We exhorted, we encourage we implored.

I didn't have time to develop those words as much as I'd like to in the message. There is a progression there of going from a cheerleader to a stern disciplinarian of a father saying I'm on your team.

Let's get with it to you better get with it or else to.

There is no option baby you get with this is right and there's times where we need to set clear boundaries for people that were helping and that has to do with confrontation that has to do with hard things that has to do with developing discipline. The passage then goes on and says that you are witnesses. And so was God of how devoutly up rightly and blamelessly we behaved among you the power of discipling in essence is modeling you're gonna produce who you really are. You cannot impart what you don't possess.

And so there's a soft side there's a hard side there's a modeling and then there's a goal and never forget the goal. The goal isn't to have a group. The goal isn't for everyone to be happy. The goal is that they may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.

Mom, dad, small group leader pastor parachurch group leader. Let's make disciples. As we close today's broadcast.

I just want to remind you about the trip and remap the free shipping remapped delivers daily broadcasts like our program today. Special offers ships interactive message notes and much more to download the chipping remap. Just visit the app store or Google play will join us again tomorrow when we continue our current series with the awesome power of encouragement chip the fire team.

This is really saying thanks for listening.

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