This was delivered at our Mt Zion Chapel concert on June 7th 2026

Encouragement

1. Introduction
   1. In this lesson, I want to talk about the importance of encouragement and being encouraged.
   2. It’s so important to note the importance of one’s words to another. How important those words can be, to bring someone way up or very low.
   3. In the ups and downs, and challenges of life that we all go through, we need encouragement.
   4. We depend on it. When we don’t get it, we stay still, stuck in our own minds, trying to figure everything out that’s come upon us in everyday living that we all exist in.
   5. When encouragement doesn’t come from others around us, we must lean on our Lord and Savior. He’s the one that stays closer than any brother ever will.
   6. Proverbs 18:24: A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
   7. God’s word never changes for you and me. It is strength when we are weak. It’s the foundation of what God has made us to be through His Word.
   8. I want to encourage you to stay in God’s Word. Follow God’s Word. Study God’s Word, and you too will realize the secret that will be manifested to the light, which will in turn become the foundational truth of knowing how you can always be encouraged.
   9. Now let us look into our lesson

Encouragement.

2. What is Encouragement
3. ENCOUR’AGEMENT is the act of giving courage, or confidence of success; incitement to action or to practice; incentive.
4. Encouragement is the act of giving courage, or confidence of success; incitement to action or to practice; incentive.
5. It is that which serves to incite, support, promote or advance, as favor, countenance, rewards, profit. Hebrews 10:24: And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: When you are encouraged or given affirmation in regards to a job or anything that you do, it causes you to want to even be better at it.

 

3. Who did God encourage in the Bible
4. God encouraged Joshua after the death of Moses. God was raising him up to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. Joshua 1:5-6: There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people, shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I swore unto their fathers to give them. God was giving Joshua a pep talk.

Moses had just passed, and God was passing the leadership on to Joshua, and Joshua needed to be encouraged in order to have the courage and confidence he needed for the task at hand.

1. Isaac had just been through a season where his herdsmen and the herdsmen of Gerar were striving over water from wells that were dug. When that season of striving was over, God appeared to him, reassuring him that He was with Isaac and would bless him.  Genesis 26:24: and the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake. When you are going through a hard time, remember God is with you and will bless you as you live for Him and do His Will.
2. God encouraged the nation of Israel in Isaiah 41:8-10: But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. He went on to say that those who had come against Israel would be dealt with. God is bigger than our problems. He will always be with us and lead us to victory.

 

4. Why do we need encouragement?
5. We need to be encouraged so we are not hardened by sin’s deceitfulness – Hebrews 3:13 – But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Encouragement helps us to constantly improve and endeavor to sin less and less, and live for God.
6. Encouragement helps us overcome trials, and the attacks of the enemy. John 16:33: In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Because Jesus has overcome the world, we can, and we will as we follow Him.
7. Encouragement helps us continue to have victory over the traps, trials and snares of the enemy. Ephesians 6:12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. When trials come our way, many times they are from the enemy, who is always trying to trip us up, and derail us from God’s Plan, but encouragement helps us to keep on going and serve God, and overcome all of the devil’s attacks.

 

 

1. Jesus stressed the importance of loving one another. If we want the world to know we have something they need, we need to love and encourage one another. John 13:34-35: A new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Jesus stressed this point time and time again. If the world sees Christians attacking and tearing down other Christians, they won’t want what we have. If they see us encouraging and loving one another, that will draw them.

 

5. How did Jesus encourage the disciples?
6. He encouraged them and us to come to him, and to give our burdens, our cares, and our sins to Him, and receive the abundant, purpose-filled, and eternal life He offers. Matthew 11:28-30 – Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. He wants you to come to Him, cast all of the baggage you carry at His Feet. He will give you rest. Then, take His Yoke upon you. His Yoke is easy and His Burden is light. Not heavy!
7. He encouraged and taught them to pray, using the pattern found in Matthe 6:9-13 – After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. It is important to note that at this time, the disciples were under the law. In the Age of Grace, we don’t need to recite this, but we can use it as a pattern. The pattern starts with worship, prayer for His Will to be done, prayer for our needs to be met, prayer for forgiveness, protection from evil, then worship again at the end.
8. He encouraged Peter to step out in faith: Matthew 14:29 Matthew 14:28-29: And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. We often remember that Peter took his eyes off Jesus and sank, but also remember that he is the only one that had enough faith to step out to begin with. Do you have faith to step out and be used mightily by God in your calling?

 

6. How can We Encourage Others?
7. We can encourage others in our conversation: always pointing the other person to Jesus, and having the conversation of Christ. Ephesians 4:29: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. How are your conversations? Are they uplifting, or are they corrupt? Do you sound like the world, or is your conversation different? Is it the same on Sunday as it is throughout the rest of the week? Something to think about.
8. We can encourage others by spending time with them: This includes being in the House of the Lord, and also having regular fellowship. Hebrews 10:25 – Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. We were never meant to live the Christian life on our own. We need to spend time together for prayer, encouragement, and growth in our walk with God.
9. We can encourage others by reminding them of Jesus’ soon return: We are told to comfort or encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 – 6 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. When someone is in the middle of a tough time, you can encourage them by reminding them that Jesus’ Return is fast approaching.

 

7. How Can You Encourage Yourself?
   1. Encourage yourself by singing songs of praise to the Lord:  Psalm 96:1: O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth. Put Christian music on or sing to the Lord yourself.

You’ll find as you do, that you will be encouraged and your faith and trust in Him will increase. What kind of music are you listening to? Is it mostly secular, or are you tuned into positive, encouraging worship music that lifts you up and gives you a good, godly prospective?

1. Remember your victories, times when God has helped you. There are many instances of God reminding His People of what He had done for them before as a way of encouragement. Exodus 6:3-5: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. At this time, Moses had just come on the scene and God was starting to deal with Pharaoh, who in turn was making life harder for God’s People. God encouraged Moses’s faith by reminding him of what he had done and what he was about to do for His People.
2. You will be encouraged as you see things from God’s viewpoint. Romans 12:2-3: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. The more time you spend in the Word of God and in prayer, the more you will see things as God sees them.
3. Rekindle your passion for a closer walk with God: Revelation 2:4-5: Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Do you have the zeal for God that you had when you were first saved? Maybe you need to rededicate your life to Him. As you walk close to Him, you will find real, lasting encouragement.

 

8. Story – The View from the Window.
   1. Two men were seriously ill. They occupied the same room in the hospital. One of them was lying in the bed near the only window in their room.
   2. Every day he was allowed to spend some time sitting up in his bed to help draining the fluid from his lungs. The other man was forced to spend all his days flat on his back.
   3. They talked a lot about their lives, families, jobs, and vacations.
   4. Every time, when the first man was sitting by the window, he described in details all that he saw outside the window.
   5. His roommate always looked for those moments, when his world was broadened and brightened up by the world outside.
   6. Amazing views of a park with a beautiful lake could be seen from the window of their room. Children delightfully played among ducks and swans.
   7. Couples walked arm in arm among colorful flowers. Also the stunning city skyline could be seen.
   8. While the man by the window thoroughly described all that was happening outside the window, his roommate would close his eyes and imagine all the beautiful scenes of life that were told to him.
   9. One night the man, whose bed was near the window, died peacefully during sleep and his roommate was very sad.
   10. After some time, when the nurse came to visit him, he asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse agreed and kindly made the switch.
   11. When she left, the man slowly and painfully propped himself up on one elbow and took the first look at the world outside. He was stunned. The window faced a blank wall.
   12. When the nurse came to visit him the next time, he told her about beautiful things outside the window that his roommate described him.
   13. The nurse replied that his roommate was a blind man. She said: „Probably he just wanted to encourage you.“
   14. If you are walking with God, spending time in the Word and in prayer, you will be encouraged, and see great blessings, even when faced with a blank wall.

9. Conclusion
   1. Are you encouraged today? I want to encourage you with these closing thoughts.
   2. He loves you. He is for you, not against you. When He is for you, no one else can be against you.
   3. You are God’s very own possession, bought and paid for with His shed Blood on the cross.