Encourage and build up one another.
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· 2,028 viewsLoving includes encouraging and exhorting.
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Read 1 Thes 5:1-11
We have learned that the church is a community where there must be true love between the members. Such true loves makes us patient with one another, and helps us to tolerate one another, despise our weaknesses and differences of personality.
As in every family, children need more than love and patience (they need discipline, instruction, rebukes, and encouragement); we, God’s children, also need to be encouraged and build up.
What does it mean “to encourage”?
What does it mean “to encourage”?
What’s the idea we have of encouraging?
See slide “Encourage”
The word translated as “encourage” in this verse is very rich in meaning: “παρακαλέω”. Since it is a verb. it indicates action: “to cause someone to be consoled or encourage, either by verbal or non-verbal means.”
Someone who executes that action is a “παράκλητος“. It becomes easier to understand its meaning if we remember that that is the title given to the Holy Spirit: the Comforter.
To comfort.
To comfort.
That gives us its first meaning: to comfort.
To comfort is to alleviate someone’s pain or affliction. Like when someone loses a loved one, we comfort him with our words or our presence.
That’s what the Almighty does for us thru the person of the Holy Spirit and the person of Jesus: He is always present with us, he never leaves us or forsakes us; He wipes away our tears, as Revelation expresses it:
for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
Rev 7:17
Another mean of encouraging is to help.
To help.
To help.
Helping, cooperating with someone, (Spanish: auxiliar, socorrer), to do something for someone in any kind of need.
If you are one of those people who think or say “I do not need anyone”, you are proud and 100% wrong. We all need someone to help us!
A helper, in one language in Central Africa, is ‘the one who falls down beside us,’ that is to say, an individual who upon finding a person collapsed along the road, kneels down beside the victim, cares for his needs, and carries him to safety. or someone who mothers us. (Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996)).
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996).
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996).
To exhort.
To exhort.
Exhortation is a strong call to do or change something. A synonym would be rebuking. With that meaning we find in:
For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted;
just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children,
A sermon is an exhortation to obey God and to imitate Christ!
Who should we encourage and how?
Who should we encourage and how?
Those who are suffering.
Those who are suffering.
They need to know that they are not alone, that there is someone who cares and is willing to help them. They need words of consolation (encouragement), but also supply for their needs.
They need to be visited at the hospital or home if they are sick; fed is they are hungry; or cloth if they are naked.
The Bible commands to “weep with those who weep”.
Those who work in God’s work.
Those who work in God’s work.
The ministry is burdensome and tiring. Those who minister are the target of the devil. If the devil cannot make fall into sin; surely, he will try to discourage them. The main reason most workers leave the ministry is discouragement.
They do not feel appreciated by those they serve, there is no help. They only receive critics and complains.
How can we encourage them? They do not need exhortation! They need words of encouragement (Good job, Thank you) and help (How can I help you?).
The disobedient and lazy.
The disobedient and lazy.
Members with this type of behavior need exhortation, first; but if they persist, they need rebuke.
No one likes to be rebuked, but if we are smart, we know that rebuke is better than discipline. We should accept it instead of reacting defensively.
For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.
2 Thess 3:11-12
Confrontation is a form of encouragement. Remember that “to admonish” is one of the meanings of “παρακαλέω”.
Members with this type of behavior need exhortation, first; but if they persist, they need rebuke.
No one likes to be rebuked, but if we are smart, we know that rebuke is better than discipline. We should accept it instead of reacting defensively.
Show slide “being rebuked”
The weak and discouraged ones.
The weak and discouraged ones.
Paul had been stoned (almost killed!) in Lystra for preaching the Gospel. He survived and continue preaching, but the disciples in Lystra got discouraged due to the event. They were tempted to abandon their new faith.
Very soon, after the stoning, Paul returned to Lystra to encourage them.
After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
Have you noticed that lions always attack the weak and young gazelle or buffalo? Why? They are easy prey!
Likewise, the roaring lion always attack the new and weak believers. We must protect them and encourage them to stay faithful to Jesus, to be sober, and to wear the armor of God to fight the attacks of the lion, the devil.
Edification is the purpose of encouraging.
Edification is the purpose of encouraging.
“encourage one another and build up one another,” v. 11
The “οἰκοδομia” is the building of a house, edification. Metaphorically, it means “to establish, to confirm”, and in this case, the establishment, confirmation, or edification of the believers.
If we want to build, we must be willing to encourage those we want to build up.
Edification of every member of the Body.
Edification of every member of the Body.
We are all responsible of encouraging the discourage, of exhorting the disobedient, and helping the weak and needy.
No! That’s not the Pastor job only! Remember that he is only one member of the Body and his main job is training and coaching the other members to do the work of the ministry.
If you see a member who need to be exhorted, do not be afraid and do it. If you see someone in need and you can help in any way, do not wait for others to it, do it yourself!
Edification of the Body of Christ.
Edification of the Body of Christ.
Every building is built a wall at a time! When the members of the Body are build up thru encouragement or exhortation, the automatic result will be the edification of the Body.
Encouragement, in its different forms, intends that every member becomes a properly functioning member.
If we grow, the Body grows! That’s what Paul said to the Ephesians:
Eph 4:
but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Let’s encourage one another! Let’s help each other! Let’s not get mad if someone exhort us, confront us, or rebuke us! It is for our benefit and for the benefit of the church.