Lift - How to Help Others Over Life's Humps, Part 1

There is an awesome powerful non-Resource in the body of Christ is the difference between people having a great day or terrible day, and the word is encouragement you want to learn how to speak life into those you love.

Stay with welcome to this Friday addition of living on the shipping Living on the Edges of international teaching and discipleship featuring the Bible teaching begins a series the awesome power of encouragement in this first program is here for specific ways you can bring no teaching chivalry with us to talk around us stay with us for that outlet store and ship for his message how to help others over life's problems. First Thessalonians chapter 1 when you really talk about how to get over lifetimes. There's a number of things that you need. But one of the most powerful powerful things that God is ever given us a speech the power of an affirming word given lovingly, authentically, as God leads is absolutely beyond what you can imagine that the Bible is replete with multiple examples of the difference. Just a word can make Proverbs 2511 says a word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. What a picture or in Proverbs 1011 it says the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. And third, Proverbs 15 for the time that brings healing is a tree of life, but deceitful tongue crushes the spirit one simple word really makes a difference.

Now here's the question we want to ask and answer tonight.

Put simply, how can we learn to speak into the lives of people that we live in such a way that it really encourages me that it changes him. I'm not sure the apostle Paul though he was an apostle and filled with the spirit grasp how much he was encouraged the Thessalonica and when he wrote the book to them and so we want to look tonight at four ways to speak life to those that we love and our model is going to be the apostle Paul and how he did it to the church of Thessalonica to look at chapter 1, the first 10 verses I want you to get a picture before we read this in one reading of the people that he wrote to and how they felt and what they were going through what was the humps that they need to get over because then when you understand that as we walked to the passage you'll get an idea that God really understands the humps you're going through the apostle Paul is on a second missionary journey and he said where he thinks God wants them to.

There's open doors and open doors and open doors and keeps preaching and sharing a ghost, every synagogue in late one night he gets this vision, this dream the Macedonian call and he hears from God to go toward Greece and so he gets up the next morning and tells a guy say there's a change in orders and so he travels over to Philippi at the Macedonian and it is not even a synagogue there and so the practice of the day when there's not a synagogue. Is that faithful Jewish people would go to a riverbank and have a prayer meeting, you can pick up the story next 16 if you want to read it later and he shows up and there's a lady name Lydia and Bushey comes to price in a group of women Paul lands in jail later. There's a earthquake in he and Silas are singing at night in the jailer and his whole household. They come to Christ.

The Philippian church is born dining for about two months. He is there more things really take off keys and politely asked to leave that city which happens them a lot. He travels by on the great indignation highway that would connected the Roman Empire and goes by two big cities, but they weren't the right ones travels at least five or six days to Thessalonica. It's a harbor city about 200,000 people is one of the major ports is a political strategic, economic, and cultural crossroads of that portion of the Roman Empire. Acts 16 and 17 we find he does what he always does, to the Jew first and also to the Greek week number one.

He shares and they say interesting were not sure come back next week becomes the next week, and he teaches and preaches in the synagogue that all the hopes all the dreams all the prophecies about the Messiah became the died and resurrected and he's alive and then go for that too much. A few people trust in Christ and he began to share with the Gentiles by the third week so many Gentiles were coming to the faith of the Jews got jealous and I said get out here. We know from this book that he stayed in Thessalonica for at least a few months because it received two financial gifts from the church at Philippi, he was there long enough to develop his trade because he says I work with my own hands, but it was a lot of persecution you walk downtown Thessalonica there's idols everywhere. These people came to Christ in the midst of the great persecution and when they came to think that they were Jewish. They were separated from their homes. So you had people as moms and dads said don't bother coming on you had wives who came to Christ as husband say you know what don't bother coming home.

Your disinherited for Gentiles. They had friends and they would get all these temples and were involved in all kind immorality and worshiping of all these idols and when they came to Christ they turn from those idols to serve the living God and all of a sudden I get invited to parties anymore not only not get invited to parties, but they're messing up the economy now people are mad at them so they are isolated and their alienated effect.

Paul really gets beat up on this one so he gets run out of town. Silas is sent back to Philippi to figure out you know how they're doing and encourage them. Paul gets run out of town.

He ends up in Athens by himself and we hear inside parentheses is discouraged and despondent as ever finally gets refreshed by one of the fallacies close to Titus ends up finally in court. He came through here about some time in about 49 A.D.'s about 18, 24 months max when he writes, first Thessalonians. By this time Silas is made the circuit. Timothy is made the circuit to check on the church and they met him back in Corinth and is got the report and he's writing this letter to a group of people that there is a high price tag for being a Christian that it's tough that life economics, family relationships, social acceptability is all very very difficult and so he writes in the letter to encourage and just follow along with an arena not study it yet. Just listen and imagine you being one of those people imagine what it was like this happen to your life and in that little apostle guy in question got all this joy in God's change your life and your forgiven.

You have peace but it's tough and you haven't seen in about 18 months and there's probably a few days that he gets a discouraged start out this be true.

Other days, you think I can't take anymore. Other days, you say what's the use in our sharing our faith were doing what he said is not making any difference.

Listen to what your mentor Paul would say to you, to the church of Thessalonica from Paul, Silas, and Timothy, and God the father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you. We always thank God for you mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before God and father your works produced by faith, your labor, prompted by love and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God that he's chosen you. How because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.

You know how we lived among you for your sake, you became imitators or mimics of us and of the Lord.

In spite of the severe suffering, you welcome the message with joy given by the Holy Spirit, and so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonian Akayev that's Greece. The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonian Akayev your faith in God and become known everywhere.

Therefore we don't need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us.

They tell us how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and the true God and to wait for his son from heaven who raised from the dead. Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath without being Encouraging Word wouldn't be good to hear that when things get really, really tough now as I looked at that and studied and examined it.

I think there's four clear things that the apostle Paul does to encourage people whose life's and lots of homes they all have to do with speech and what I like to do now is go through and study it with you and briefly look at each of these four things out of these 10 verses and will use them as our example about how were going to talk one another. I will get to talk to our mates talk to our friends in the top two are bosses and employees work and learn how to communicate with our mouth in such a way that every person that and me get around work and encourage.

So let's look at verse one.

First of all I think we need to learn to bestow a blessing. Did you notice Holly started Paul and Sylvain use and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now notice what he says that's introduction Grace to you and peace. The root word for grace is the word joy.

It's God's blessing and goodness that comes apart from our merit and we think of peace as the absence of conflict, but this word for peace means the wholeness of God, the shalom of God is in the very first thing he does. The first words out of his mouth are are you doing are you hanging in there you get with the program. What is it he bestows a blessing grace God's unmerited on limited love for you, grace to you and peace is wholeness is blessing all of who you are in Christ.

That's what I long enough for us culturally that fit well with Paul, but I do know about you, but don't try this one don't go to work and say grace and peace to you will think you drank something to write something funny over the weekend. In fact, probably not even a good one to go home tonight and say my children, my wife, my friends. Grace and peace. That's probably not can work so high was still a blessing. I like to encourage you to think about blessing people whenever you leave them when you leave your home when you leave work when you leave a friend some specifics might be just a look in the eye. This and you say, I'm praying for you.

I'm praying for you or you might express God's can you shoot today.

You know that they're taking off for their leaving your leaving Hank how she got today or even you know make God's peace really raining your heart and pray that for you today.

Another possible example that I've used in my house just the blessing of tell someone you know it's a privilege I when she denotes a privilege to be your friend is a privilege to be your mate is a privilege to be your dad are to be your mom see it's a blessing. What you're saying is you matter you matter to me and you matter to God.

Second time I encourage you to give a blessing is not only when you leave someone, but at bedtime I see this primarily for those of you that are married and have children, you know that old thing.

Tucking your kids in not doing it start doing it. Don't send kids to bed with TVs on said on their bed, look him in the eye. Pray with them, touch them with your hands and ask God's blessing upon their life.

Do it every night. Bless your children evoked God's blessing and favor and grace on the security will be incredible.

Third, as you can bless people through notes, email unit. It's a blessing to say I'm thinking about you today. I'm praying for you. It's a blessing to say, hey, hey, as I was praying this morning. Psalm 37 for just want to know I'm asking God to give you the desires of your heart to get the idea that he got on encourage you this week if you want to speak life into those that you love bestow a blessing but doesn't stop there. Notice verse two and three. Paul's appreciation he says we give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers constantly bearing in mind. Notice this your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of God our father. Notice the structure here. First of all, he gives thanks he lets them know I'm praying and when I pray you pop up on the screen size when I'm praying Thessalonians you pop up on the screen and is not of this man. God bless you, aren't you, nice people. I think of the specific things that I seen in your life is. I think God specifically for three things.

Number one he says your work produced by faith. The word work here. We get our word energy or activity from he says I thank God specifically for the activity in the love. Referring probably to evangelism because we hear later how it's gone out and also their good deeds and kind acts toward one another, but that's not enough. He says I think God for your for your work that is produced by your faith in Christ but also thinking for your labor of love.

The word labor here prompted by love denotes extraordinary effort literally meant to cut to toil.

It's a picture of someone taking bread and hitting it and trying to get it in a certain form to be usable. Wiry says it's toiling to the point of exhaustion out of affection for another person. How'd you like someone to pray and thank God that when they look at your life. They see activity that is other centered. Because of your faith in Christ and they see you with a self sacrificial toil because you agape love God and love other people I be pretty encouraging when the third thing he says, though, as he says he also thanked God for their steadfastness of hope or really it's patients or I like the best translation is endurance. The word is a compound word Kubo Menno literally has the idea for kind of a man with weight on his back. It means holding up or remaining under pressure. It has the idea of when things get hard when things get difficult when everyone else comes out.

You hang in there it means to be aggressive, to be courageous to not give up to not fall into self-pity. You hang in there and keep on doing when you don't feel like keep on doing why because you are inspired by the certainty of hope.

Christ is returning. God is good God is sovereign in the notice. The last phrase in the presence it literally means before the face of our God and father.

He expresses his appreciation for who they are and for what they've done.

Do you do that I think about this as a father.

I hope you have a different personality and mine.

I really do.

My personality is fairly analytical and when I see something the thing that pops out immediately is what's wrong or how can be improved. You know, if you're a kid you know what you hear a lot of you that's real good except for the a.m., but you know you know how D motivating. That is to see people who are constantly expressing appreciation for Thanksgiving. Boy, those are people that motivate and lift up and build you and Paul basically did. He said this is what you're doing right. Thank God for being vague. I'm not blowing smoke up talk about these three specific things, and by the way, it's happening. You want some encouragement it's happening before the very face of God and he sees what's going on to what would that be encouraging them to give you practical application can Blanchard is the author of the one minute manager in a number of other books affect raving fans is one that would really slow right now. This passage and he says, and that tell people what they're doing right wander around and catch people doing stuff right and then praise him and is Megan progressive.

Don't wait until they have it perfect when you see people making little inclinations toward doing better praise and appreciate them for the progress they're making some of us are waiting till people get completely right there never get it completely right because are a lot like us right, how you doing expressing your appreciation if you told you told your parents that you told fellow workers. People that you do ministry how much you really appreciate this application is if you're just joining us, you're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram chips message how to help others over life's homes 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 it will strengthen your walk with the Lord at the same time help you get started.

All the series resources for lift are currently discounted strict about or to get your copies today. Just head on over to LivingontheEdge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 will chip as we launch the series. Give us an idea of where were headed for the next couple weeks were actually teaching that takes us all the way through the book of first Thessalonians, and as I love all of the study whole books and then sort of breakup. One of the major themes and this is a book where it's one of the most amazing churches in all the New Testament and Paul talks to them about how he encourages them, but also how they in turn encourage others know encouragement is a term we use a lot. How does the Bible to find both people are afraid people get discouraged people give up.

People were tempted and what they need is courage they need and in courage is an inflow of the spirit of God, God will use people who listen to this as agents of grace.

There are people that are listening right now that have a made a son, a daughter, a friend, someone at church a neighbor there down there to press their hurting.

They've lost perspective, they strayed from the Lord there to learn in the next couple weeks how they can actually use words of life and some actions to give them courage and they'll make it because of the people listening right now. Very cool. Well, there are several ways you can stay with us for the whole series 1st be right here again on Monday. Second, download the chip Ingram up or third have Alexa played the chip Ingram podcast now more than ever people are experiencing the crush of a culture very counter to Christianity. So knowing how to encourage from a Christian perspective is a way to really serve those around you without your strip with a final thought as we wrap up this first broadcast on encouragement more than a walk right through the book of first Thessalonians 8 encouraging powerful, uplifting book and I just want to remind you and your day might need a word of encouragement from you, you know, is it a wife is a husband is a coworker. Maybe when your kids or maybe it's a mom or dad or a grandparent. It is so amazing to me that God has entrusted to us this opportunity to encourage to speak life and to give love and people are more desperate and they are hurting more than will ever know and get the second thought, you have more to give than you can ever imagine your word to someone today can make all the difference in the world and so as we close today's program. I like to take just just a minute and let you think with me. Is there someone in your relational network that needs a word of appreciation. Who are they, and then let's remember how were going to do it. It's not just thanks a lot that doesn't communicate a lot.

Let's do it the way the apostle Paul did. Let's make it very specific very objective and if that all possible. Let's separate what they did from who they are, let's say thank you for what you did and that means a lot. But let's affirm who they are.

You see, the focus is on character. It's not just on their performance and so what can I ask you right now to come up with a mental list of one or two people have you got it someone you know someone you love someone that just a word that would lift them up a blessing or depreciation, and now want to ask you, what would be the best way to do it you do when you get home could you make a phone call.

Could you write him a quick note or how about email be up lesser today encourage someone for the glory of God. You know a great way to stay engaged and committed to chip and Living on the Edge is with the chip Ingram up will get free access to all of chips recent messages as message notes and much more. Not only that, but it couldn't be easier to order resources will call or email directly from the app download the free chip Ingram up when you go to Google play for the App Store boy. Hope you make plans to join us again on Monday when she continues his series lift the awesome power of children for everyone. This is really thanks for listening. This vision of the