• Who is useful to God when it comes to faithful service? I Timothy 4:12-16

• Joseph – Genesis 45:3-8
• Samuel – I Samuel 3:1-4; 19-21
• David – I Samuel 17:33, 34-38
• Solomon
• Josiah
• Jeremiah – Jeremiah 1:4-10
• Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – Daniel 1:1-5; 3
• Mary – Luke 1:30-38
• Timothy – Acts 16:1-5

• Willing to flee immorality – II Timothy 2:22; I Corinthians 6:18-20
• Willing to trust in God – I Samuel 17:37
• Willing to seek first things first – I Kings 3:5-9; Matthew 6:31-34
• Willing to seek the Lord with tender hearts and with humility – II Chronicles 34:27
• Willing to boldly do God’s will
• Willing to be true to their convictions
• Willing to humbly submit to God’s will – Luke 1:38
• Willing to be an example to others – I Timothy 4:12, 16

• Receive them – Matthew 18:5
• Not place stumbling blocks in their way – Matthew 18:5-6; 18:14
• Encourage them – I Corinthians 16:10
• Not despise them – I Corinthians 16:11

• We all need to be active in the Lord’s work.
• We all need encouragement in that work.
• We all need to be examples to others.
• God can use all of us to do mighty things.

Old Testament

• Chazaq: חָזַק (ḥāz__ǎq) – to make strong, make to stand, cause to be firm
• Deuteronomy 1:38; 3:28
• Used twelve times, always this word (Isaiah 41:7)

New Testament

• Verb
  • Protrepo: προτρέπω (protrep__ō)
    • To urge forward, persuade
    • Acts 18:27
  • Paramutheomai: παραμυθέομαι (paramytheomai)
    • Literally with (para) counsel or advise (muthos)
    • Stimulate forward; give comfort
    • I Thessalonians 2:11
• Noun
  • Paraklesis: παράκλησις (parakl__ēsis)
    • Calling to one’s aid
    • With or beside (para) to call (kaleo)
    • A call to one’s aid
    • Beseechment or exhortation
    • Comfort or advocate
    • Hebrews 6:18

Christians will have troubles

• Jesus: the world will hate you
  • John 15:18-21
  • Matthew 10:22-23
• Jesus encourages: John 16:33; Revelation 1:17

Elijah discouraged

• God encouraged him
• I Kings 19:11-18

The Father and His Son actively encouraged

• We are to emulate them
• Encourage one another

WHY?

• We’re told to
  • Isaiah 35:3
  • I Thessalonians 5:11
• To counter Satan
  • I Peter 5:8
  • James 4:7
  • Hebrews 3:13
• Coming difficult times
  • Hebrews 10:23-25
    • What day was coming?
    • Why would they need encouragement?
      • Temple and Jerusalem soon to pass away
      • Jerusalem was the center of everything to a Jew
      • Psalms 137:5-6
    • Can this idea apply to us today?
      • Did other difficult times come to other Christians?
      • Could they come again?
• Second law of thermodynamics
  • People grow old
    • And are gone all too soon
    • I Peter 1:24
• The end of time
  • Don’t know when
    • I Thessalonians 4:18; 5:2
    • Time of physical death is just as unknown to us

HOW?

• Words
  • Spoken – Proverbs 12:25; Ephesians 4:29; Acts 15:32
  • Written – Colossians 3:16
• Togetherness – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Proverbs 27:17; Hebrews 10:23-25; Psalms 133:1
• Example – Colossians 2:1-3
• Love – I Thessalonians 5:11-13
• Worship – Colossians 3:16

How do you encourage?

• One ark
  • Genesis 6-7
  • II Peter 1:5
  • Everyone outside the ark perished.
  • Only those in the ark were acceptable to God.
• One tabernacle
  • Leviticus 17:1-9
  • This was where men had to worship for God to bless them.
  • This shows the respect God demands for the place of worship He chooses.
• One house for Rahab’s family
  • Joshua 6
• One temple
  • I Kings 9:1-3
  • Deuteronomy 12:5-14
  • Deuteronomy 14:24-26
• One church
  • Matthew 16:18
  • II Samuel 7:12
  • Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:6 – There is one
  • Acts 20:28 – The church belongs to the Lord.
  • Ephesians 5:23
  • Hebrews 8:6
• In Christ, His body, His church, there is:
  • Triumph
  • Reconciliation – Ephesians 2:14-16
  • John 1:1-4 – Life and light
  • Completeness
  • Sonship
  • Ephesians 1:3 – all spiritual blessings
• Exodus 20:24