Encouragement

Notes

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

To encourage means to infuse courage, and the type of courage here means being brave with the goodness of God. We gather together to encourage one another to grow and move forward with what God created us to do. Here are three ways the people of the Church can continually encourage each other:

1) Prayer

We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pray that your brothers and sisters in Christ would continue to hang on to God’s unending love and what He has reserved for them in heaven; understanding this leads us to love as we have been loved. Pray that they would grow in wisdom, that they know what God wants from them and that they produce good fruit for the Kingdom. And pray that they are strengthened with God’s glorious power, to have the patience and endurance to keep pressing forward in whatever trials they are facing.

2) Thanksgiving

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Be thankful to our Creator for His rescue - for sending Jesus to pay the penalty of our sins. We’re thankful for His transfer - that He takes us out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light. Be thankful for God’s forgiveness and the freedom He gives us to flourish and grow. And be thankful for the inheritance He promises us, that we do not deserve but He generously gives to us as His children.

3) Mission and vision

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

This is the mission that Jesus gave the Church back then, and it’s the same mission we are to carry out now. It is the mission given to every local church in the world. It’s a big mission because of the heart God has for all people:

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

And the mission is not only about humans:

God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Through the Church, God is displaying that He is all-powerful not just to all of humanity, but to the spiritual powers that we cannot see. The mission given to the Church is bigger than us, but it involves us. So how do we participate?

So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.

Reach out and invite others to join you on the journey. Build relationships with others so that you can be a positive and godly influence on their lives. Grow and develop people to know who God is by helping them learn how they can contribute to the mission. Live to make a difference and challenge others to do the same.

Group Questions

• What are some ways we can encourage others through prayer?
• How does being thankful bring encouragement?
• What is the Church and what is its mission?
• How can you get involved in the mission?

Prayer

Thank you for the rescue, for the transfer, and for our inheritance. Remind us continually that we can trust in your promises. Let us be active parts of the mission you have given your Church and let us bring others along with us.