Jump Start # 1570

Hebrews 3:13 “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

  Encouragement has been referred to as “oxygen for the soul.” Everyone needs it. We remember Barnabas, called that by the apostles because he was an encourager. We remember Titus coming to Paul and refreshing his spirit. This is a role that all of us can play. The encourager is vital to a congregation. Life can be hard and for some the way we journey can seem long, without encouragement, as our verse reveals, a person can become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

The hardened soul is one that has turned bitter and sour. They see little good. The hardened soul is more likely to complain and dwell in misery. In this passage, it looks like someone believed the lies that come with sin. They have become hardened by that deception. It looks like Satan got him. It looks like he’s a goner.

Sin deceives. It promises great joys and freedoms but hides the pain and the consequences. Sin lies by telling you that you’ll never get caught. Sin lies by convincing you that it’s not that bad. Sin tells you that you can quit anytime. The more we are deceived by sin the deeper we sink. Before long we are so deep in sin and so trapped and so addicted, it’s hard to get out. The writer is trying to prevent this. He is trying to keep this from happening. He doesn’t want to see them sinking in sin. One way to over come this is encouragement. Daily encouragement. Encourage one another day after day.

I conducted a funeral yesterday. In the audience sat at least three different people who had buried loved ones within the past few months. I was amazed at that. It wasn’t too long ago, and it was their turn to sit on that dreaded front roll as the funeral is conducted. It was their family member that was in the casket. The wounds are still fresh. The tears have not stopped flowing and yet, there they sat in the audience to support another family who faced their turn with death. It’s hard to go to a funeral so soon after you have buried a loved one. Why did they do that? Encouragement. They know what it is like to have support of a church family. They understand that the presence of others helps with the burden one feels. They have been there and they know. They are encouragers.

Young people need encouragement. Teenagers are a lot like airplanes. It seems like the only ones we hear about are the ones that crash. We hear the sad statistics about how many are falling from the Lord. We hear about how many are sexting each other. Stats on drugs, alcohol and crime makes the older generation shudder. Those are the crashes. They make the news. They are the basis of sermons. But all throughout this land are incredible young people who are walking with the Lord. Their young voices are inviting friends to services. They are asking great questions as they develop their own faith. They are standing up against the things that are wrong. Their sweet voices fill our worship with praises of God. They need to be encouraged. They are doing great. Love them. Hug them. High five them. Pray for them. Compliment them. Use them. Engage them. Help them. But, please don’t stand in their way. And, don’t lump them in the same category of others their age who are not doing well. Encouragement.

Young families need encouragement. It’s hard getting everyone ready and out the door for worship. The more kids the more someone forgot something, needs something or is having a bad day. Moms walk into the church building looking like they have completed a tour in the Army. The day is just beginning and they have just about had it already. But there they are, carrying book bags, holding little hands and trying to get coats off and keep them corralled before they take off. Encourage them. Give them a hand, literally. Help hang up those little coats. Tell mom and dad that they are doing a great job. Hand them a gift card so they can go out to eat. Pray for them. They are trying to do what is right. Encouragement.

Senior citizens need encouragement. They are facing health issues and often it’s hard for them to get going in the morning. They start the day with a handful of pills, putting in their hearing aides and finding their walker. It would be so much easier for them to just stay home, but their faith won’t let them do that. So, here they come, moving slowly. They are the bedrock of the congregation. They know the history. They know the Bible. They are solid. They need encouragement. Where I worship, we have a whole team of guys who will park the cars for our seniors. They drive up to the front canopy, and are escorted in as someone else parks their cars. When services are over, the cars are lined up for them. It’s great. I’ve tried to get them to do that for me. They just laugh. It’s a simple way of encouraging. Many seniors are living alone. They have buried a mate. Include them. Invite them out with you. Encourage them.

A church needs solid teaching. It can’t survive without that. But it also needs strong encouragement. It needs love. People need to feel accepted. They need to feel wanted. They need to feel like they belong to a church family. Some of the best folks in the congregation may never stand behind the pulpit, but they are the huggers. They are the ones who are bringing food to a hurting family. They are out visiting folks in the hospital. They are helping others grow. They bring smiles and joy. And when one stumbles, they are there to help a person up. They are not pointing fingers and making a person feel worse.

I tend to think some people are afraid of the folks in church. They are afraid of the stares that they might get. They are afraid of the whispers. They are afraid of being avoided and treated as if they do not belong. I’ve seen that before. That’s not how Jesus acted. The woman caught in adultery wasn’t treated that way. Zacchaeus wasn’t treated that way. The lack of encouragement may be the very reason some can’t leave sin. They fear the church. That feeling comes from what they have witnessed in the past. They have seen how others were mistreated. Some know that they need to come back to the Lord, but that fear of the church keeps them away. They are convinced that they could never live as good as the people in the church. They have failed and feel that they are treated as a failure. All of this is caused by a lack of encouragement.

How does one turn the direction back to an encouraging, loving place? We are talking about the atmosphere of a congregation. Some places it’s stale. Some places it’s tense. You feel it. A visiting preacher tells a humorous story and no one laughs. Boy, I’ve been there. The impression is “we are in church,” and “we don’t smile, laugh, nor have a good time.” It’s all stern, serious and straight faces. Tears are acceptable, but certainly not smiles. Can you imagine? A week with people like that and all of us would want to put a bucket on our heads. Jesus loves you, this I know. That ought to put a smile in your heart and on your face.  Try some encouragement. Try some jelly on your toast, it sure makes it taste better.

So, you begin to turn the place around by what you do. Don’t wait for others. They may not know how nor think it’s right. You be the encourager. Be the Barnabas of your place. Hug. Smile. Compliment. Talk to the little kids. Invite folks out with you. Stick around. Bring some sunshine into the place. Encouragers have a way of attracting others. People like to be around encouragers. It’s not big things, just simple things. Wear some happy socks, they tend to make people smile.

We get enough bad news every day. Co-workers thrive on telling gloom and doom stories. The nightly news is just more bad news. It’s all around us. Dark movies. I haven’t seen it yet, my kids have, but why is Batman fighting Superman? That’s bad news. I want Batman and Superman smacking Isis. I want them on the same team.

Encouragement. You need it. You need to give it. Do your part in bringing some sunshine to a soul today.

Roger

Jump Start # 123

Hebrews 3:13 “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

  This simple verse is packed full of great ideas. It is almost busting out, like a suitcase that is stuffed full of clothes. Implied in this verse is the interaction among brethren. Remember this was written in a day in which contact with one another was face to face. No cell phones, facebook, emails—the only way they had to encourage was to see each other. Travel back then was predominately by foot, so they were not as spread out as we are. They didn’t have ways of keeping food like we do, so they had to go everyday to the market place. They saw each other, nearly every day.

  The responsibility of keeping one another encouraged fell upon the brethren. It was not listening to an inspiring sermon once a week, nor did the this task fall upon the shoulders of the elders. Every one was connected and they were to stay connected.

  Encouragement is like oxygen to our souls. The word means to “build up.” It involves strengthening our souls and reminding each other of our places, roles, and hopes in Christ. The world has a way of “knocking us down” and “knocking the spiritual breath out of us.” We can feel alone or defeated. Our families who are not Christians can really hurt us at times. We can get mixed up, confused and simply forget who we are. Encouragement helps. We remember that Barnabas was the “son of encouragement.” All Christians need this. Sometimes preachers seem upbeat and confident, but behind the doors they can really get discouraged. They wander if what they do is doing any good. The same goes for elders. So often they are dealing with broken lives and problems, after a while that wears on them. All of us need this. Remember this when you are around other Christians. Some are critical. Some always point out what is wrong and what needs to be done. There is a place for that. But this verse tells us that we need encouragement, all the time.

  Also, we find here the nature of sin. It hardens and it deceives. Sin promises but never delivers. It promises freedom, happiness, success and peace and ends up with misery, pain and brokenness. Sin hardens our conscience. This has happened to us already. We can sit through a movie and tell someone it’s a great movie and really clean, even though we didn’t notice the profanity. We can become insensitive to bad words. We can become insensitive to immodesty, rudeness, pride, and materialism. Sin hardens us. Our hearts can no longer be soft to what is going on around us. When we think of a “hard person” we imagine some one who is short tempered, mean and outspoken. Here a hard heart is no longer effected by sin. It doesn’t bother him. It is a sad day when people get that way. Many are already there.

  The solution to all of this? Encouragement. Daily encouragement. Reminding each other of the purity in Christ and the ways of the Lord. This is our hope and this is what will work.

Today just happens to be a “today.” Try to encourage. Kind words, good deeds, hugs are just a few of the ways we can send some sunshine into someone’s heart.

Roger