As we bring our series of One Another to a close this morning, we will be looking at a final “one another” statement that is found in the Bible. This “one another” statement is a good word for us today because it applies to each one of us. It is the statement of “encourage one another.”
Encouragement is something that we all need. There is not one of us that goes through this life and doesn’t need some encouragement at times. This life has a way of draining us of strength, drive, and courage. An interesting fact is that the word ‘encourage’ means ‘to instill courage into another.’
If there is one thing that we could use today, it is more courage. One of the main ways God has designed for this courage to come into our lives is by others coming alongside us and encouraging us. With the way things have gone the past couple of years, we all could use some encouragement.
I want to return to the New Testament letter of Hebrews and look at an instance where a form of this phrase – encourage one another – is found. We see this phrase come up in Hebrews 3:12-13.
Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.
Hebrews 3:12-13 CSB
The letter of Hebrews is what we call an anonymous letter in the Bible. There is no clear indication as to who wrote this letter. There are many theories as to who the human author is – Paul, Barnabas, Apollos, or someone else. I would encourage you to not get hung up on who penned the words of this precious letter. In cases like this, it is important to remember that the Holy Spirit is the ultimate author of the entirety of the Bible.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 CSB
No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 1:21 CSB
What is important is that the message that we have in this letter comes straight from the heart of God. We should listen carefully and apply it to our lives because it is instruction and encouragement that comes from God Himself.
A Loving Concern
In the verses from Hebrews that we are looking at today, we see that they are filled with loving concern. The original readers of this letter were Christians in the first century who were standing at a crossroads: do they go back to the practices of Judaism or continue in this Christianity? These readers were facing great pressure and even persecution to go back to their former ways of life. God meets them at this crossroads of faith with words of encouragement to not return to the old ways.
There are times in our faith journey of following Jesus that we will be tempted to throw in the towel and go back to the old ways that we lived. Following Jesus is not an easy path, but it is the only one that leads to eternal life and the peace that we so desperately desire. What will you do when you come to that crossroads of faith?
Sadly, there have been many who have come to that crossroads that I’ve mentioned and chosen to take the wrong path. A Pew Research study done in 2018-2019 showed that 65% of American adults describe themselves as Christian. This is down 12 points from the previous decade. What’s more, the percentage of American adults describing themselves as “religiously unaffiliated” (atheist, agnostic, or simply “don’t care”) rose 9 percentage points over the previous decade to 26%.
While we may be tempted to think as we read this letter to the Hebrews that it is crazy that they would choose to just walk away from Jesus back to their old ways of life, the very same thing is happening in our communities today. We hear stories about people who are faced with a crisis of faith and then “deconstructing their faith”.
This should not happen, but it is happening. It is a real problem in our world today. This walking away is a reminder to us as the church that we do not have a cruise control button when it comes to discipleship. Discipleship – the process of growing in one’s faith – is a constant work that we are called to be part of.
Discipleship is Multifaceted
Discipleship is not just hearing information though. There is another aspect to it. As author and pastor, Carey Nieuwhof, has said, “People can get content anywhere. The thing your church has to offer that others don’t is connection – real relationship.”[1]http://outreachmagazine.com/features/leadership/62750-4-reasons-christians-are-disengaging-from-the-church.html
Nieuwhof is correct that you can get information just about anywhere. It doesn’t take long to find a worship service online. We record and put our services up on our website and YouTube, as do many other churches. You can find Bible studies just about as easy. But it is interesting to me that no matter how hard you try, you will not find the needed encouragement that comes from a real person in the context of a real relationship from a Google search.
The author of Hebrews brings out this truth. He was greatly concerned about those who were deciding to leave their walk with Christ to return to the emptiness of Judaism. The author urges his readers to be diligent in encouraging one another. He shares two noteworthy parts of this encouragement that should be taking place.
Encouragement is a two-way street
Notice in verse 13 that it says “encourage each other.” The responsibility of distributing encouragement was not the job of just one person. This was not a task that was laid on just the leadership or those who were seen to be spiritual giants. Each person within the church has a responsibility to encourage other members.
The Holy Spirit lives within each person who has placed their faith in Jesus and can call themselves a Christian.
And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”
Galatians 4:6 CSB
We do not have the needed courage to instill in others on our own, but it is the Holy Spirit within the life of a Christian that supplies that courage to instill in others. That is what encouragement is – instilling courage in another. As we submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives, He will allow us to encourage those around us.
Encouragement is for the moment
Another part of encouragement that we see as important from verse 13 is that encouragement is meant for the moment. The author of Hebrews says that we should be encouraging each other daily while it is still called today.
The music group, Creedance Clearwater Revival, released their final song as a group in 1972 called Someday Never Comes. There is some truth in that song. We might say about certain things that “I’ll get to that… someday.” It might be eating healthier, exercising more, reading through the entire Bible, taking that dream vacation as a family, or something else. Too many times, we find the chorus of that song playing out: “someday never comes.”
Procrastination is a dangerous element that can be found in our lives. I am guilty of it far too often. When it comes to encouragement, procrastination is extremely dangerous. This is because encouragement is for the moment.
The author of Hebrews knew through the wisdom given by the Holy Spirit that if we wait to encourage one another until the perfect time, it might be too late. He shares at the end of verse 13 that sin has a way of deceiving us and hardening our hearts to where we cannot easily receive encouragement.
I would encourage you to join me in hearing the LORD speaking to us through His word today: encourage one another while it is still called today. God may open your eyes to see how someone around you needs encouragement. That is the point to take that precious Spirit-filled gift of encouragement to them.
God sees each of us right where we are. He knows the struggles and joys that we go through. He knows when we need an extra dose of encouragement. It is in those moments that God oftentimes prods another Christian to come alongside us with that encouragement.
One thing that I find interesting is that the same root word that is found in the Greek for encouragement is also used as a name for the Holy Spirit in John 14 – paraclete. It talks about one who comes alongside to help in a journey. This is what encouragement is about: brothers and sisters in Christ coming alongside one another to help in the journey that we are on.
Conclusion
Contrary to what may be told to us, we need one another. There is no way that a person can have victory in this life apart from the community for which God created him. That is why the church is part of God’s plan. The local church is to be a faith family that comes alongside one another for this faith journey. It is through our faith family that we should find much of the encouragement that we need.
You may be thinking that you couldn’t make that big of a difference in a person’s life today. You may think that you need encouragement yourself, and you’d probably be right. The answer to that is that it is not us that is doing it. It is our amazing God working in and through the lives of His children to help each one.
Illustration: Puppies For Sale
There was a pet shop owner who put up a sign that said: “Puppies for sale.” He knew that signs like this often drew in children who would drag their parents along. A little boy saw the sign and approached the owner asking, “How much are you selling the puppies for?”
The store owner replied, “Anywhere from $30-$50 each.”
The little boy pulled out some change from his pocket. “I have $2.37,” he said. “Can I please look at them?”
The shop owner whistled and the mom came running down the aisle followed by five tiny balls of fur. One puppy was lagging behind and limping badly. The boy asked, “What’s wrong with that one?”
The shop owner explained that the vet had examined the puppy and discovered its hip socket was severely damaged. This puppy would always limp.
The little boy became excited and shouted, “That’s the puppy I want!” The shop owner said, “No, you don’t want to buy that puppy. If you really want him, I’ll give him to you.”
The little boy got very upset. He looked the owner in the eyes and said while pointing his finger, “I don’t want you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the others. I’ll pay full price. Here’s $2.37 now, and I’ll give you 50 cents every month until he is paid for!”
The shop owner countered, “You really don’t want this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you like the other puppies.”
To his surprise, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a metal brace. He looked up at the shop owner and said, “Well, I don’t run so well myself, and this little puppy will need someone who understands!” [2]http://wealthygorilla.com/10-most-inspirational-short-stories
We don’t have to be perfect and have everything together to encourage one another. All we need is the Holy Spirit living within us. He will be the One that supplies the courage and opportunity to instill it in others. God has even told us that He will give us what to say at the moment.
All of this is available to us when we trust Jesus. If you have never trusted in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I would invite you to do that today. That decision is not just about heaven and hell. It is about eternal life that begins at the moment you trust in Jesus and lasts for eternity. It is about the here and now just as much as it is eternity.
Church, may we be known as the most encouraging people that this community knows. That reputation starts right here within the family as we encourage one another. It is from that point that we begin to go out and share encouragement with a world that is falling apart.
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