1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:03,920 So this morning we're continuing on our One Another series, 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:07,680 looking at God's invitation to community and what it means to 3 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:11,720 be a people marked by love. So the scripture today is First 4 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:16,680 Thessalonians 5/8 through 11. But since we belong to the day, 5 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:20,480 let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate 6 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:22,600 and hope of salvation as a helmet. 7 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,400 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive 8 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:28,680 salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 00:00:29,370 --> 00:00:33,530 He died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may 10 00:00:33,530 --> 00:00:37,050 live together with him. Therefore, encourage one another 11 00:00:37,050 --> 00:00:40,570 and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 12 00:00:40,770 --> 00:00:47,810 This is the word of the Lord. All right. 13 00:00:48,290 --> 00:00:51,450 Mike is taller than me, but he very kindly put this back into 14 00:00:51,450 --> 00:00:52,570 place. How are you guys doing? 15 00:00:53,250 --> 00:00:57,450 Good morning. See if you can get this to 16 00:00:58,170 --> 00:01:01,400 capture my voice. So if we haven't met, my name is 17 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:05,280 Mandy, I'm on staff here at Reality Church Boston, and today 18 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:09,200 I will be continuing our sermon series on the one another verses 19 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,960 in the New Testament. So that phrase one another, 20 00:01:12,960 --> 00:01:15,800 appears dozens of times, especially in Paul's letters, 21 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,160 and it serves as a reminder that the Christian life is not meant 22 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:22,880 to be lived in isolation. All of the things that were 23 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:25,520 called to all the virtues that are part of following Jesus, 24 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,640 like love, service, hospitality, patience, humility. 25 00:01:29,010 --> 00:01:32,170 These all require engaging in community, actually. 26 00:01:32,170 --> 00:01:34,650 Is that what have I told Josh earlier, I think I'm just going 27 00:01:34,650 --> 00:01:35,690 to hold this. Is that crazy? 28 00:01:35,890 --> 00:01:38,890 Yeah, OK. I was very supportive. 29 00:01:38,890 --> 00:01:40,810 You guys are great encouragers. So this is already going to go 30 00:01:40,810 --> 00:01:42,810 really well because the topic that I'm teaching on today is 31 00:01:42,810 --> 00:01:46,610 encouragement. But just thinking about the one 32 00:01:46,610 --> 00:01:49,770 and others of Scripture, I find it fascinating that when Jesus 33 00:01:49,770 --> 00:01:52,690 departed this world, what he chose to represent him and to 34 00:01:52,690 --> 00:01:56,370 carry on his mission in this world was not one person or one 35 00:01:56,370 --> 00:02:01,040 practice, but a community. Now, some of us might prefer it 36 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,800 if our spiritual lives were more like a marathon, like the path 37 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:08,759 of transformation might be long and grueling, but you just have 38 00:02:08,759 --> 00:02:10,960 to run it alone, and all you have to do is just make it to 39 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:14,320 the end. That doesn't appear to be God's 40 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:17,160 plan. Christianity is not a solo act, 41 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:23,120 and God appears to intend for a community to be a major part of 42 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,520 what changes us. God calls his church to be a 43 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,870 testimony. To who he is to the world. 44 00:02:30,750 --> 00:02:34,030 And Jesus's first disciples were this kind of ragtag group of 45 00:02:34,030 --> 00:02:37,630 misfits who didn't have much in common except for their 46 00:02:37,630 --> 00:02:40,950 conviction that Jesus was the savior of the world. 47 00:02:41,470 --> 00:02:45,310 But through his Holy Spirit, he transformed this community into 48 00:02:45,310 --> 00:02:50,110 a community that radiated such compassion and generosity and 49 00:02:50,110 --> 00:02:53,830 reconciliation and joy that everyone around them stopped to 50 00:02:53,830 --> 00:02:56,070 take notice. And so that is the kind of 51 00:02:56,070 --> 00:02:58,560 community. That we are called to become as 52 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,400 Christians. So as we explore these one 53 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:04,760 anothers of Scripture, our goal is to cultivate a more vivid 54 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:10,640 picture of Jesus's idea of church, the wild and messy and 55 00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:12,800 beautiful community that he had in mind. 56 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,720 And as we live in Jesus ways, we'll discover how his version 57 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,120 of community fosters transformation and makes the 58 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:22,480 love of Jesus more tangible to others. 59 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:27,400 As I said today, the theme that I am teaching on is the call to 60 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:31,280 encourage one another. So I'm just going to stand here 61 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:34,480 and encourage you all for the next night, 25 minutes nonstop. 62 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,920 I am so proud of you today just for getting out of bed. 63 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:42,000 You are all winners in my book. Your hair looks great today. 64 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:46,600 There's more of that came from, so just you wait in all 65 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:48,630 seriousness. I was actually thinking about 66 00:03:48,630 --> 00:03:50,710 this this morning as I was preparing for this sermon. 67 00:03:50,950 --> 00:03:55,350 I wrestled a lot with the worry that encouragement could come 68 00:03:55,350 --> 00:03:58,790 off as kind of a fluffy topic. Like basically we were just 69 00:03:58,790 --> 00:04:01,750 going to read through a series of motivational posters. 70 00:04:01,990 --> 00:04:04,470 You know the ones there would be like a picture of an eagle 71 00:04:04,470 --> 00:04:07,070 flying and it just says like dare to soar. 72 00:04:07,700 --> 00:04:10,580 Or I this is this is the one that I've seen more often 73 00:04:10,580 --> 00:04:13,060 probably than any other. It's like this poor little Kitty 74 00:04:13,060 --> 00:04:16,220 that's like hanging on to a rope by his like little tiny claws 75 00:04:16,459 --> 00:04:20,380 and it says perseverance and I'm like, okay, that's a nice 76 00:04:20,380 --> 00:04:22,340 sentiment. But like someone needs to rescue 77 00:04:22,340 --> 00:04:23,860 that poor cat. Like is he okay? 78 00:04:23,860 --> 00:04:29,580 Why is he still hanging there? So today our goal is to try to 79 00:04:29,580 --> 00:04:33,620 move beyond the platitudes and the kind of surface level pep 80 00:04:33,620 --> 00:04:36,660 talks and instead to try to uncover the reason. 81 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:39,400 The Scripture has so much to say about encouragement because it 82 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,000 has a lot to say about encouragement. 83 00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:43,760 In fact, in the New Testament, encouragement is basically 84 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:47,680 presented as this foundational practice for Christian community 85 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,120 that we would be mutually encouraged by 1 another's faith, 86 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:55,040 that we would strengthen each other's souls. 87 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:57,280 That's from Acts chapter 14. I love that phrasing. 88 00:04:57,280 --> 00:05:01,120 Strength One another's souls. Strengthen 1 another's souls and 89 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:03,760 that we would charge each other to walk in a manner that is 90 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,910 worthy of God. So before we really dive into 91 00:05:06,910 --> 00:05:10,750 our text and the Word today, let me just take a moment to pray 92 00:05:10,950 --> 00:05:14,070 for these things for us and to ask Jesus to meet us through His 93 00:05:14,070 --> 00:05:19,510 Word. Let me pray for us, Lord God, we 94 00:05:19,510 --> 00:05:23,750 thank you so much that you are a God who sees everything and who 95 00:05:23,750 --> 00:05:26,590 knows everything, Lord. And so we know that when you 96 00:05:26,590 --> 00:05:28,870 speak a word of encouragement to us, God. 97 00:05:29,260 --> 00:05:32,460 That it is completely grounded in reality. 98 00:05:32,460 --> 00:05:34,540 It is completely grounded in truth. 99 00:05:34,540 --> 00:05:37,100 It is a word that can we can rely upon. 100 00:05:37,420 --> 00:05:39,980 And Jesus, I just want to ask right now that you would speak a 101 00:05:39,980 --> 00:05:43,380 word of encouragement to each of us, to the unique obstacles that 102 00:05:43,380 --> 00:05:46,180 we're facing, to the burdens that are on our hearts, to the 103 00:05:46,180 --> 00:05:48,980 challenges, to the confusion, to anything that we're carrying in 104 00:05:48,980 --> 00:05:52,380 today that feels messy or muddled or tangled. 105 00:05:53,140 --> 00:05:56,540 Lord, we ask that you would speak truth to us and to help us 106 00:05:56,540 --> 00:05:59,830 to hold fast to who you are. And what you are calling us to 107 00:05:59,830 --> 00:06:02,830 do and how you were calling us to engage in this world, Lord. 108 00:06:03,270 --> 00:06:06,830 And we also want to ask that you would make these words from from 109 00:06:06,830 --> 00:06:08,790 throughout your Scriptures. That you would make these things 110 00:06:08,790 --> 00:06:11,390 true of us. That we would be a Church that 111 00:06:11,670 --> 00:06:13,750 is mutually encouraged by 1 another's faith. 112 00:06:14,390 --> 00:06:17,270 That we would be a Church who strengthens 1 another's souls, 113 00:06:17,590 --> 00:06:20,110 And that we would charge each other to walk in a manner worthy 114 00:06:20,110 --> 00:06:22,350 of you. Or would you be present to us 115 00:06:22,350 --> 00:06:25,990 this morning and help us to really had just received from 116 00:06:25,990 --> 00:06:27,790 you the word that you want to speak? 117 00:06:28,270 --> 00:06:29,830 To pray all those things in Jesus name. 118 00:06:30,590 --> 00:06:32,270 Amen. Amen. 119 00:06:32,790 --> 00:06:35,830 So as Mike read earlier, our main scripture for today is from 120 00:06:35,830 --> 00:06:39,630 the book or actually the letter of First Thessalonians. 121 00:06:39,630 --> 00:06:42,190 And so to appreciate what this letter has to say about 122 00:06:42,190 --> 00:06:44,990 encouragement, we could use a little context on why it was 123 00:06:44,990 --> 00:06:46,870 written. So the author is the Apostle 124 00:06:46,870 --> 00:06:49,030 Paul, who was an early follower of Jesus. 125 00:06:49,030 --> 00:06:52,110 He was a missionary, a church planter, A preacher, and the 126 00:06:52,110 --> 00:06:55,510 writer of much of the New Testament and the recipients of 127 00:06:55,510 --> 00:06:57,300 this letter. For the Christian Church in 128 00:06:57,300 --> 00:06:59,660 Thessalonica, which is the capital city of this Roman 129 00:06:59,660 --> 00:07:02,500 province of Macedonia. So we actually get the full 130 00:07:02,500 --> 00:07:05,500 story of Paul's journey to Thessalonica and act seven 131 00:07:05,500 --> 00:07:06,740 teens. We know a lot about what was 132 00:07:06,740 --> 00:07:08,380 going on there. We learned that Paul and his 133 00:07:08,380 --> 00:07:11,380 crew of fellow missionaries are traveling throughout the city. 134 00:07:11,500 --> 00:07:13,820 They're sharing the good news about Jesus, how he was the son 135 00:07:13,820 --> 00:07:16,660 of God and yet he suffered for us and died for our sins. 136 00:07:16,660 --> 00:07:20,300 And he was raised to life to bring us the gift of new life. 137 00:07:20,830 --> 00:07:24,310 So both Jews and Greeks are hearing this news and both are 138 00:07:24,310 --> 00:07:26,750 believing in Jesus and deciding to follow him. 139 00:07:27,550 --> 00:07:30,990 But it doesn't take long for Paul and company to also make 140 00:07:31,070 --> 00:07:33,150 enemies. So some of the Jewish leaders 141 00:07:33,150 --> 00:07:36,950 are so jealous that they stir up a violent mob and they accuse 142 00:07:36,950 --> 00:07:40,470 the Christians of proclaiming a king other than Caesar, meaning 143 00:07:40,550 --> 00:07:44,070 Jesus, which makes these Christians dangerous in the eyes 144 00:07:44,070 --> 00:07:47,480 of the Roman government. And so, so much conflict arises 145 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,160 that Paul and the others are actually forced to flee the city 146 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:53,200 and to leave the brand new Thessalonian church behind. 147 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:57,800 Now, this is hardly anyone's ideal church planting technique. 148 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:01,320 In case you're wondering, we have this newly formed community 149 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,600 made-up of people from different cultural and political and 150 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:07,880 religious backgrounds, and they have very recently renounced the 151 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:10,440 idols they used to worship and put their faith in Jesus. 152 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:13,680 And now, immediately, they're facing persecution. 153 00:08:14,310 --> 00:08:17,030 And then soon after that, their leaders are kicked out of the 154 00:08:17,030 --> 00:08:20,390 city. So Paul is understandably 155 00:08:20,390 --> 00:08:23,270 worried. Will this church be okay? 156 00:08:23,710 --> 00:08:25,910 Will they hold fast to their faith? 157 00:08:26,470 --> 00:08:30,710 Or will they cave and compromise under pressure from the Roman 158 00:08:30,710 --> 00:08:34,070 government? So since Paul is basically 159 00:08:34,190 --> 00:08:37,190 persona non grata in the city, he decides to send Timothy back 160 00:08:37,390 --> 00:08:40,789 to check on the Thessalonians, and Timothy comes back with a 161 00:08:40,789 --> 00:08:43,850 glowing report. Not only is the church 162 00:08:43,850 --> 00:08:47,730 surviving, they are thriving. They are enduring persecution 163 00:08:47,730 --> 00:08:50,530 bravely, even though members of their community were likely 164 00:08:50,530 --> 00:08:52,850 martyred. They've become known throughout 165 00:08:52,850 --> 00:08:55,690 the entire region as a church that is marked by joy in the 166 00:08:55,690 --> 00:08:59,050 face of affliction and evident love for one another. 167 00:08:59,650 --> 00:09:02,770 And in response to this wonderful news, Paul sits down 168 00:09:02,770 --> 00:09:05,330 to write them a letter. So we can already kind of 169 00:09:05,330 --> 00:09:08,490 anticipate based on this context why for Thessalonians would be a 170 00:09:08,490 --> 00:09:11,250 letter of encouragement. Because Paul is super encouraged 171 00:09:11,450 --> 00:09:13,730 by the faith of the Thessalonians and he wants to 172 00:09:13,770 --> 00:09:16,490 encourage them to continue on in their faith. 173 00:09:17,010 --> 00:09:19,330 But Paul also takes this opportunity to address some of 174 00:09:19,330 --> 00:09:22,010 the concerns that were causing the Church anxiety. 175 00:09:22,370 --> 00:09:24,730 So first of all, the Thesalonians understanding of 176 00:09:24,730 --> 00:09:26,930 the afterlife was a little fuzzy, and with all the 177 00:09:26,930 --> 00:09:29,690 persecution that was happening, they were thinking a lot about 178 00:09:29,690 --> 00:09:32,540 these types of questions like. What does it mean when Jesus 179 00:09:32,540 --> 00:09:34,860 says that he's going to return to the earth and glory? 180 00:09:35,020 --> 00:09:36,540 And when is that going to happen? 181 00:09:37,100 --> 00:09:40,180 What happens to those who have already died, even died for 182 00:09:40,180 --> 00:09:42,740 their faith? And how can those who remain 183 00:09:42,740 --> 00:09:44,860 know that they're living faithfully and that they'll be 184 00:09:44,860 --> 00:09:49,660 welcomed into Jesus's Kingdom? So the Thessalonian church is 185 00:09:49,660 --> 00:09:53,540 marked by joy, faith and love. That's already a reputation that 186 00:09:53,540 --> 00:09:56,420 they have, but they're also struggling with confusion and 187 00:09:56,420 --> 00:09:59,380 uncertainty, so they're in need of reassurance that they're 188 00:09:59,380 --> 00:10:01,150 suffering. Is not in vain. 189 00:10:01,670 --> 00:10:04,310 So Paul's letter meets this church in the midst of the 190 00:10:04,310 --> 00:10:08,510 complications of real life. And so his goal throughout this 191 00:10:08,510 --> 00:10:13,470 entire letter is to fortify, to kind of build up or to increase 192 00:10:13,470 --> 00:10:17,150 the Thessalonians faith. And Paul does that by calling 193 00:10:17,150 --> 00:10:21,190 them to reanchor themselves in what's true and to remind one 194 00:10:21,190 --> 00:10:24,750 another of what's true. And so this is at the heart of 195 00:10:24,750 --> 00:10:26,910 the call to encourage one another encouragement. 196 00:10:27,380 --> 00:10:30,580 Has the ability to reshape the story that we're telling 197 00:10:30,580 --> 00:10:34,220 ourselves about our lives, about our future, and about God 198 00:10:34,220 --> 00:10:36,540 himself. So encouragement. 199 00:10:36,540 --> 00:10:39,620 The Greek word used here is para kaleo, and that can basically 200 00:10:39,620 --> 00:10:43,100 mean to come alongside alongside someone, or to address them with 201 00:10:43,100 --> 00:10:46,220 words of exhortation or comfort or instruction. 202 00:10:46,460 --> 00:10:49,980 So there's this element of soothing and consoling, but 203 00:10:50,220 --> 00:10:53,100 there's also an element of building someone up and calling 204 00:10:53,100 --> 00:10:55,460 them forward. So even if we look at the 205 00:10:55,500 --> 00:10:59,240 English word. To encourage someone literally 206 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:03,240 means to put courage into them, to kind of infuse courage into 207 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:06,240 them. And this is so important because 208 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:09,720 the Christian life, if you're going all in, if you're going to 209 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:13,680 commit to wholeheartedly following Jesus, it requires 210 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:17,280 courage. Jesus is going to ask you to do 211 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:20,800 things that you're not sure you're capable of, to give to 212 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,080 others as if their needs or your needs. 213 00:11:24,060 --> 00:11:26,620 To serve and to welcome those who can't offer you anything in 214 00:11:26,620 --> 00:11:29,420 return. To forgive that person. 215 00:11:30,140 --> 00:11:32,860 To cross those uncrossable social, racial, and 216 00:11:32,860 --> 00:11:37,340 socioeconomic barriers. To resist temptation, to believe 217 00:11:37,340 --> 00:11:40,860 in supernatural evidence of God's presence and grace, and to 218 00:11:40,860 --> 00:11:43,740 live as if sin and death don't get the final word. 219 00:11:44,860 --> 00:11:48,420 Jesus calls us to drop our comfortable, self, indulgent, 220 00:11:48,620 --> 00:11:50,900 often self-serving ways, and to follow him. 221 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:53,840 And he calls us to pursue a transformed life, not just for 222 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:55,600 our own sake, but for the sake of others. 223 00:11:55,600 --> 00:12:00,120 And that requires courage. So what we learned here in First 224 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:03,240 Thessalonians and in many of Paul's letters is that Christian 225 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:07,240 community needs to be a place where our courage is renewed, 226 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:11,000 Where the words that we speak to one another reanchor us in 227 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:14,360 truth, where we are built up and propelled forward to keep 228 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:18,480 walking in faith So we can see Paul actually modeling this type 229 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:20,280 of encouragement here in Chapter 5. 230 00:12:20,570 --> 00:12:22,810 And the text kind of gives us a sense, based on what he's 231 00:12:22,810 --> 00:12:24,890 saying, of the types of questions that the Thessalonians 232 00:12:24,890 --> 00:12:28,370 were probably asking. So, for instance, how can we 233 00:12:28,370 --> 00:12:31,010 persevere in the face of such opposition? 234 00:12:31,530 --> 00:12:34,690 Well, Paul says to put on faith and love as our armor. 235 00:12:34,970 --> 00:12:37,810 Because walking in the ways of Jesus will strengthen you. 236 00:12:38,210 --> 00:12:41,050 The more that you follow him, the more you will experience his 237 00:12:41,050 --> 00:12:44,410 goodness, and the more your trust will grow and your fear 238 00:12:44,450 --> 00:12:47,650 will fade. How can we know what is waiting 239 00:12:47,650 --> 00:12:51,080 for us after death? But Paul says, remember that 240 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:54,840 Jesus has offered you eternal life as a free gift. 241 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:58,680 Your hope of salvation is like a helmet that reminds you that no 242 00:12:58,680 --> 00:13:01,640 lasting harm can befall you. So rest in the truth that you 243 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:05,680 are safe in Christ. How can we as a church, live in 244 00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:08,800 a way that reflects our faith? Encourage one another. 245 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:12,120 Rehearse what is good and true again and again as a community. 246 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:14,960 Speak to each other in a way that builds up your faith, that 247 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:19,100 revives your hope, your words. Have the power to speak life to 248 00:13:19,100 --> 00:13:21,740 others, so use them to strengthen one another. 249 00:13:22,300 --> 00:13:24,460 So these words that Paul is saying in this chapter, they're 250 00:13:24,460 --> 00:13:26,740 such beautiful life giving words. 251 00:13:26,740 --> 00:13:28,940 And I just love the idea that's being put forward here of this 252 00:13:28,940 --> 00:13:33,620 community that proactively seeks to fill one another with courage 253 00:13:33,900 --> 00:13:37,700 and with hope. So it's so different from the 254 00:13:37,700 --> 00:13:40,860 world around us and how we often deal with the messiness and the 255 00:13:40,860 --> 00:13:43,940 complications of life. So in this world we are 256 00:13:44,100 --> 00:13:47,300 constantly faced very real reasons for discouragement. 257 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:51,240 For feeling overwhelmed by the problems of the world, or 258 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,720 feeling weighed down by repeated disappointment. 259 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:57,120 And I've noticed that modern American culture often defaults 260 00:13:57,200 --> 00:13:59,560 to one of two approaches. These are the two that stood out 261 00:13:59,560 --> 00:14:01,520 to me as I was thinking about this. 262 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:03,880 So what kind of treat them like 2 archetypes. 263 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:06,560 Like two kind of like characters that represent a way of being in 264 00:14:06,560 --> 00:14:09,040 the world, So let's call them, for the sake of this 265 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:12,080 conversation. The cynic and the optimist. 266 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:16,520 So the cynic is able to look at harsh realities in the face. 267 00:14:17,100 --> 00:14:20,500 But that's all they can see. So the cynic sees the brokenness 268 00:14:20,500 --> 00:14:23,820 in this world, but they think, how can things possibly get 269 00:14:23,820 --> 00:14:25,940 better? I've heard someone referred to 270 00:14:25,940 --> 00:14:30,140 cynicism as disillusioned idealism, which I think is an 271 00:14:30,140 --> 00:14:33,580 interesting take. So really, cynicism is a defense 272 00:14:33,580 --> 00:14:36,580 mechanism. If you expect the future to be 273 00:14:36,580 --> 00:14:40,260 bleak and for people to be horrible, perhaps you can shield 274 00:14:40,260 --> 00:14:42,300 yourself from disappointment and pain. 275 00:14:43,180 --> 00:14:46,020 But you've also shielded yourself from hope. 276 00:14:46,790 --> 00:14:51,430 Because hope requires openness, vulnerability, Hope takes 277 00:14:51,430 --> 00:14:54,550 courage. So the second archetype is the 278 00:14:54,550 --> 00:14:56,510 optimist. In this case, I am defining 279 00:14:56,510 --> 00:14:59,070 optimist in a very specific way, not trying to be down and all 280 00:14:59,070 --> 00:15:02,070 kinds of positivity. But I'm talking about an almost 281 00:15:02,070 --> 00:15:05,830 kind of aggressive optimism that deals with the hardships of life 282 00:15:06,030 --> 00:15:08,710 by trying to paint over them with bright, rosy colors. 283 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:11,800 So when I lived in Southern California, I noticed this much 284 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:15,600 more this kind of pervasive cultural tendency to refuse to 285 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,760 talk about anything negative, almost as if avoiding the topic 286 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:21,640 could make the actual negative situation just disappear. 287 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,240 There's this scene in the TV show Ted Lasso, and they've made 288 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:29,480 it into a meme, so I feel OK referencing it, but I am sorry 289 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:32,480 if you haven't seen it yet. But the main character? 290 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:34,890 Ted. Is having a conversation with a 291 00:15:34,890 --> 00:15:38,850 therapist, and she's inviting him to open up and to face his 292 00:15:38,890 --> 00:15:42,130 difficult emotions. So she puts a box of tissues in 293 00:15:42,130 --> 00:15:44,410 front of him and he immediately takes it and just hurls it 294 00:15:44,410 --> 00:15:46,410 across the room into a trash can. 295 00:15:46,930 --> 00:15:49,610 So that's basically the kind of attitude that I'm referencing 296 00:15:49,610 --> 00:15:53,970 here, like hardships, heavy emotions, harsh realities, just, 297 00:15:54,250 --> 00:15:59,370 you know, no thank you. But those two perspectives, and 298 00:15:59,570 --> 00:16:02,970 in particular, blind optimism, doesn't work. 299 00:16:03,570 --> 00:16:07,970 We may think we've created a sunny, sadness free world for 300 00:16:07,970 --> 00:16:12,370 ourselves, but we've actually created is an inner volcano, a 301 00:16:12,370 --> 00:16:15,290 lifetime of pressure from stuffing or pain down until we 302 00:16:15,290 --> 00:16:18,170 finally can't take it anymore and all the feelings just 303 00:16:18,170 --> 00:16:21,130 erupts. But I think that the Bible 304 00:16:21,130 --> 00:16:24,530 invites us to a third way that actually combines the strengths 305 00:16:24,530 --> 00:16:27,850 of the cynic and the optimist, because we need the Cynics 306 00:16:27,930 --> 00:16:30,610 willingness to face reality as it is. 307 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:34,840 And we need the optimists kind of readiness to believe that the 308 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:38,200 future can be brighter than what we see right now today. 309 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:41,960 So as I was reflecting on this, there was a particular Bible 310 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:45,000 verse that came to mind that I think this is a kind of concrete 311 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:49,760 example of how Jesus engages hard realities and Active hope 312 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:53,240 at the same time. And so the verse is John 1633. 313 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:56,000 I'll read it to you, but this verse is actually personally 314 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:57,480 significant to me. It gave me. 315 00:16:57,980 --> 00:17:00,900 A lot of encouragement in my early days as a Christian when 316 00:17:01,060 --> 00:17:03,940 becoming a follower of Jesus had caused tension in my 317 00:17:03,940 --> 00:17:06,780 relationships, especially with my friends and my family, and at 318 00:17:06,780 --> 00:17:09,859 times definitely made me feel really alone. 319 00:17:10,339 --> 00:17:12,900 So in this passage in the chapter, the chapter and John, 320 00:17:13,220 --> 00:17:15,859 Jesus knows that he's going to be arrested and he predicts that 321 00:17:15,859 --> 00:17:19,619 his disciples will scatter and leave him alone, but he will not 322 00:17:19,619 --> 00:17:22,220 truly be alone because the Father will still be with him. 323 00:17:22,460 --> 00:17:25,339 And so Jesus says that he's telling his disciples all these 324 00:17:25,339 --> 00:17:28,540 things, so that in him. They will have peace. 325 00:17:29,300 --> 00:17:33,180 And then he says this. In this world you will have 326 00:17:33,180 --> 00:17:35,220 trouble. But take heart. 327 00:17:35,820 --> 00:17:40,460 I have overcome the world. So this is a simple but a 328 00:17:40,460 --> 00:17:42,700 powerful statement. And there are three things that 329 00:17:42,740 --> 00:17:44,380 Jesus does here that I want us to notice. 330 00:17:44,380 --> 00:17:49,220 The first he acknowledges reality, second he pivots 331 00:17:49,220 --> 00:17:53,500 towards hope, and 3rd he anchors us in a greater truth. 332 00:17:54,420 --> 00:17:56,780 So Jesus first acknowledges reality. 333 00:17:57,140 --> 00:18:00,100 So the approach of blind optimism that will ultimately 334 00:18:00,100 --> 00:18:03,660 come up short because we can't effectively deal with pain by 335 00:18:03,660 --> 00:18:07,620 just dressing it up with bright, shiny Lisa Frank stickers and 336 00:18:07,620 --> 00:18:11,140 hoping for the best encouragement is shallow. 337 00:18:11,140 --> 00:18:13,100 If it attempts to erase what is true. 338 00:18:13,700 --> 00:18:17,860 And it is true, as Jesus says, that in this world you will have 339 00:18:17,860 --> 00:18:20,460 trouble. And what I appreciate is that as 340 00:18:20,460 --> 00:18:22,780 we walk with Jesus and as we learn from his teachings, we'll 341 00:18:22,780 --> 00:18:25,180 notice that he never asks us to pretend. 342 00:18:25,940 --> 00:18:28,260 He never tells us to act like things are not what they are. 343 00:18:28,820 --> 00:18:32,700 Instead, he gives us real reasons for courage and a solid 344 00:18:32,700 --> 00:18:36,140 foundation for hope. So this is the second thing that 345 00:18:36,140 --> 00:18:38,700 happens. Jesus pivots towards hope. 346 00:18:39,220 --> 00:18:41,900 He doesn't dismiss the difficulties, but he then shifts 347 00:18:41,900 --> 00:18:43,940 our attention with these anchoring words. 348 00:18:44,340 --> 00:18:47,460 But take heart. It is a call to courage. 349 00:18:47,460 --> 00:18:50,500 It's a challenge to cynicism and despair. 350 00:18:50,700 --> 00:18:53,020 He's basically saying in this world you will have trouble. 351 00:18:53,020 --> 00:18:55,390 That's true. But that's not the end of the 352 00:18:55,390 --> 00:18:57,710 story. There is more to come. 353 00:18:57,710 --> 00:19:00,630 There is a reason for hope. There's a way to move forward 354 00:19:00,630 --> 00:19:03,990 with courage. So Jesus ends this exhortation 355 00:19:03,990 --> 00:19:07,430 by saying, I have overcome the world. 356 00:19:07,950 --> 00:19:12,390 What a crazy thing to say. I have overcome the world and 357 00:19:12,390 --> 00:19:15,390 only Jesus can say that. In other words, this world that 358 00:19:15,390 --> 00:19:17,790 is full of trouble doesn't get the final say. 359 00:19:18,210 --> 00:19:21,410 The pain you experience, the obstacles you face, the new 360 00:19:21,410 --> 00:19:25,490 reasons for anxiety that just seem to pop up every day, Jesus 361 00:19:25,490 --> 00:19:30,050 has overcome them all. Jesus has done battle against 362 00:19:30,050 --> 00:19:33,930 fear, discouragement, despair, and hopelessness, and He has won 363 00:19:34,650 --> 00:19:37,490 through his perfect life, His sacrificial death, His glorious 364 00:19:37,490 --> 00:19:40,050 resurrection. He overcame sin and death, He 365 00:19:40,050 --> 00:19:44,130 broke their power and he is even now assuring our world towards 366 00:19:44,130 --> 00:19:46,730 healing. He is making every broken thing 367 00:19:46,730 --> 00:19:49,290 new, and that includes you and me. 368 00:19:49,970 --> 00:19:53,330 So our hope is in the fact that even though we will have trouble 369 00:19:53,330 --> 00:19:56,690 in this world, even though that is true, there is another, more 370 00:19:56,810 --> 00:19:59,810 ultimate truth. There is a truth that reigns 371 00:19:59,810 --> 00:20:03,450 supreme above our temporary troubles, so that as followers 372 00:20:03,450 --> 00:20:06,010 of Jesus, our troubles don't get to define our lives. 373 00:20:06,610 --> 00:20:11,530 Through Jesus, we find reason for courage as we follow Him as 374 00:20:11,530 --> 00:20:14,010 He teaches us to see things through His perspective. 375 00:20:14,420 --> 00:20:17,660 We will experience the renewal that he is bringing about more 376 00:20:17,660 --> 00:20:19,900 and more. So take heart. 377 00:20:20,460 --> 00:20:24,940 Jesus has already overcome. And so this is the third way of 378 00:20:24,940 --> 00:20:28,700 seeking true encouragement, to face life with courageous hope. 379 00:20:29,380 --> 00:20:32,500 And it's worth noting that a powerful encouragement does not 380 00:20:32,500 --> 00:20:34,340 necessarily have to be long and intricate. 381 00:20:34,340 --> 00:20:36,660 It can be straightforward and simple. 382 00:20:37,220 --> 00:20:40,300 And I remember a while ago, I was having a conversation with a 383 00:20:40,300 --> 00:20:43,810 friend who's a great encourager. And as I had shared with her 384 00:20:43,810 --> 00:20:47,250 about this recurring theme in my life, basically feeling like God 385 00:20:47,250 --> 00:20:49,370 was inviting me to live with more courage. 386 00:20:49,490 --> 00:20:51,890 And there have been many situations where I felt like the 387 00:20:51,890 --> 00:20:55,170 Holy Spirit has prompted me to kind of pause, look at my 388 00:20:55,170 --> 00:20:58,530 situation and to notice what path my fear is telling me to 389 00:20:58,530 --> 00:21:01,810 take versus what path my faith may be telling me to take. 390 00:21:02,370 --> 00:21:05,650 And so at these crossroads, I'm basically facing this call to 391 00:21:05,690 --> 00:21:09,900 ignore the voice of fear and to choose to be brave, to make 392 00:21:09,900 --> 00:21:13,500 decisions based on my values, based on how Jesus instructs me 393 00:21:13,500 --> 00:21:17,220 to see the world, and to trust that as I walk in faith, even if 394 00:21:17,220 --> 00:21:19,820 my legs feel shaky, God walks with me. 395 00:21:20,500 --> 00:21:22,900 So I was with my friend, and I was telling her about one of 396 00:21:22,900 --> 00:21:25,860 these crossroad moments, and I was facing a decision, and I 397 00:21:25,860 --> 00:21:28,260 wanted to choose the brave thing, but I was also afraid of 398 00:21:28,260 --> 00:21:31,300 the consequences, because I knew that the brave choice was also 399 00:21:31,300 --> 00:21:33,380 the harder choice, as it often is. 400 00:21:33,820 --> 00:21:37,380 And I had, you know, the small inner voice exhorting me to be 401 00:21:37,380 --> 00:21:39,640 brave. But I also had this louder 402 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:44,040 internal voice that was like, or you could give up and just hide 403 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:46,760 under your bed covers, eat some Ben and Jerry's, and maybe your 404 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:51,480 problems will go away with time. So that was clearly not the 405 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:54,240 voice of wisdom, and I knew that. 406 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:59,480 But I just needed a friend to speak out loud against the voice 407 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:04,320 of fear, to just affirm the hard decision and to give me the 408 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:06,080 strength I needed to move forward. 409 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:07,880 And so that's exactly what she did. 410 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:11,280 And later on, I was texting her kind of like updates and new 411 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:16,040 prayer, prayer requests, and she sent me a text that just said 412 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:21,320 this. You are so brave and so loved. 413 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:25,880 And it was such a simple statement, but I still think 414 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:28,400 about those words all the time because that was exactly what I 415 00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:30,880 needed to hear. You are so brave. 416 00:22:31,360 --> 00:22:37,470 You are so loved when we are battling against discouragement, 417 00:22:37,590 --> 00:22:40,670 when we have so many thoughts swirling around in our brains 418 00:22:40,670 --> 00:22:42,990 that it's hard to know what to listen to. 419 00:22:43,390 --> 00:22:47,070 Sometimes we just need someone to speak clear and simple truths 420 00:22:47,110 --> 00:22:49,870 over us, just to quiet all the noise. 421 00:22:50,550 --> 00:22:54,470 We need someone to remind us of what's true, because often the 422 00:22:54,470 --> 00:22:57,630 truth that we need to find strength and comfort and peace 423 00:22:57,830 --> 00:23:00,710 is right in front of us and we've just forgotten it. 424 00:23:01,510 --> 00:23:04,390 So maybe we need to be reminded of the times that we've already 425 00:23:04,390 --> 00:23:07,330 been brave. And I don't know your story, but 426 00:23:07,330 --> 00:23:11,130 I know that in this world, each one of us faces troubles, loss, 427 00:23:11,410 --> 00:23:16,330 betrayal, injustice, neglect, very real reasons for anxiety. 428 00:23:17,050 --> 00:23:20,210 And yet we're here against all odds. 429 00:23:20,450 --> 00:23:24,690 We have chosen to follow Jesus. We have chosen to gather here in 430 00:23:24,690 --> 00:23:27,690 the hope that he will meet us and remind us that he is near. 431 00:23:27,930 --> 00:23:30,930 We have chosen to keep living by faith, to let go of our old 432 00:23:30,930 --> 00:23:34,010 ways, and to embrace the new life that Jesus offers us. 433 00:23:34,660 --> 00:23:38,140 And we don't have to worry about tomorrow because God is able to 434 00:23:38,140 --> 00:23:40,820 supply new courage for whatever you may face. 435 00:23:40,820 --> 00:23:45,540 So remember how Jesus has met you when you needed fresh 436 00:23:45,540 --> 00:23:47,660 strength. Remember that he is already 437 00:23:47,660 --> 00:23:50,740 overcome. You can choose hope, you can be, 438 00:23:50,740 --> 00:23:53,900 and you are brave and you are loved. 439 00:23:54,620 --> 00:23:57,540 Maybe that's the reminder that you need today, that Jesus does 440 00:23:57,540 --> 00:24:00,860 not give or withhold love from us based on what we do or what 441 00:24:00,860 --> 00:24:03,620 we bring to the table. He responds to us based on who 442 00:24:03,620 --> 00:24:08,170 He is, and he is love Incarnate. He has given his life for us, 443 00:24:08,490 --> 00:24:11,450 and God's Word says that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor 444 00:24:11,450 --> 00:24:14,890 rulers, nor things present or things to come, nor height, nor 445 00:24:14,890 --> 00:24:18,130 depth, nor anything else in all of creation, will be able to 446 00:24:18,130 --> 00:24:21,810 separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. 447 00:24:22,210 --> 00:24:26,930 You are so, so loved. So that day those words were for 448 00:24:26,930 --> 00:24:28,730 me, but today they're also for you. 449 00:24:29,470 --> 00:24:30,790 And that's the beauty of encouragement. 450 00:24:30,870 --> 00:24:33,870 We are simply sharing the same truths with one another over and 451 00:24:33,870 --> 00:24:37,790 over until what's true about God and what's true about us starts 452 00:24:37,790 --> 00:24:41,150 to recolor our vision in these kind of ultimate reigning 453 00:24:41,150 --> 00:24:44,750 truths, become a part of how we automatically, intrinsically see 454 00:24:44,750 --> 00:24:47,830 things. So how can we grow in our 455 00:24:47,830 --> 00:24:51,680 ability to act as encouragers? Well, first, I I think that just 456 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:53,960 naming this as a value is an important step. 457 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:57,600 Realizing that words do have power, they can tear us down, 458 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:00,920 but they also have the power to build us up and to give us life. 459 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:05,280 And this is especially true when we ask God to guide our words. 460 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:07,680 So throughout the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is often 461 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:11,680 referred to as paracletas, which comes from the same root word as 462 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:14,080 the word we talked about earlier, paracleo, which means 463 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:17,040 to encourage. So the Holy Spirit is an 464 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:21,700 encourager, A comforter, an intercessor, And he empowers us 465 00:25:21,700 --> 00:25:25,820 to do the same work and to fill God's people with courage and 466 00:25:25,820 --> 00:25:28,020 hope. And we can learn to listen for 467 00:25:28,020 --> 00:25:30,220 His leading and how to strengthen and how to comfort 468 00:25:30,460 --> 00:25:32,980 others. And we can look to Scripture, 469 00:25:33,060 --> 00:25:36,060 which is just overflowing with words of encouragement that we 470 00:25:36,060 --> 00:25:38,300 can take to heart. And let's shape the way that we 471 00:25:38,300 --> 00:25:41,310 think and the way that we speak. So this week, as I was 472 00:25:41,590 --> 00:25:44,310 reflecting, I was looking back at times on my life where I 473 00:25:44,310 --> 00:25:47,630 received encouragement just when I needed it, at times when God 474 00:25:47,630 --> 00:25:50,790 maybe delivered a timely word or the comforting presence of a 475 00:25:50,790 --> 00:25:52,830 friend. And it just revived my hope, 476 00:25:52,830 --> 00:25:55,510 revived my courage. And I was kind of just starting 477 00:25:55,510 --> 00:25:59,310 to look for patterns, like what kinds of reminders helped to 478 00:25:59,310 --> 00:26:01,830 shift my perspective when I was at a low point? 479 00:26:02,190 --> 00:26:04,910 So I noticed three things, and I feel like I'm always picking 3. 480 00:26:04,910 --> 00:26:07,590 It's not intentional, I promise. Like, I just can't help it. 481 00:26:07,590 --> 00:26:08,790 Maybe it's a holy number. I don't know. 482 00:26:08,990 --> 00:26:12,820 But there are three core truth that stood out to me from those 483 00:26:12,820 --> 00:26:15,780 moments of encouragement. And so the three things are 484 00:26:15,780 --> 00:26:19,260 this. First, that God is with me, God 485 00:26:19,260 --> 00:26:22,980 is with me. Second, that God is in control. 486 00:26:23,780 --> 00:26:28,660 And 3rd that God is good. So these are three very simple 487 00:26:29,060 --> 00:26:32,020 but essential truths. God is with us. 488 00:26:32,940 --> 00:26:36,940 God is with you. God chose to send His Holy 489 00:26:36,940 --> 00:26:40,880 Spirit to dwell within us, to never be apart from us. 490 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,160 There's so many dark and heavy moments in my memory where the 491 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:47,840 one thing that made the biggest difference was just experiencing 492 00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:51,560 God's presence anew. Just being reminded that he is 493 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:54,440 with me. And I'm constantly surprised by 494 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:57,560 what I can survive and what Jesus followers in general can't 495 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:02,800 survive, just by knowing that God is with us, that he walks 496 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,920 the the long, hard roads alongside us. 497 00:27:06,510 --> 00:27:09,550 So when everything is just, like swirling like a storm around 498 00:27:09,550 --> 00:27:13,470 you, God is your anchor, your safety, your security. 499 00:27:13,470 --> 00:27:16,790 God is with you, and God is in control. 500 00:27:17,550 --> 00:27:21,830 God's sovereignty, his his supreme power and authority, is 501 00:27:21,830 --> 00:27:24,470 something that I return to all the time, especially when I feel 502 00:27:24,470 --> 00:27:26,630 helpless in the face of circumstances that I can't 503 00:27:26,630 --> 00:27:29,670 change And in times when my vision has kind of been clouded 504 00:27:29,670 --> 00:27:32,990 by fear or pain. There's this one phrase that 505 00:27:32,990 --> 00:27:36,550 often comes to mind for me, and it's that God is not done 506 00:27:36,550 --> 00:27:40,670 working yet, because sometimes we make assessments of our 507 00:27:40,670 --> 00:27:44,310 situation based only on what we can see here and now, But God is 508 00:27:44,350 --> 00:27:47,830 able to move and shift things in ways that we cannot see and that 509 00:27:47,830 --> 00:27:49,990 don't make sense to us. So anytime we think we've 510 00:27:49,990 --> 00:27:52,870 arrived at the end of the road, that there's no hope or no way 511 00:27:52,870 --> 00:27:56,110 forward, we need to remember that God has all the time and 512 00:27:56,110 --> 00:27:59,830 resources in the universe at his disposal, and he's not done 513 00:27:59,830 --> 00:28:03,670 working yet. God is in control and God is 514 00:28:03,670 --> 00:28:06,250 good. God is in favor of our 515 00:28:06,250 --> 00:28:10,050 flourishing, and that can be so hard to remember when we are 516 00:28:10,050 --> 00:28:13,530 still waiting to see how he can possibly bring good out of a 517 00:28:13,530 --> 00:28:16,250 hard situation. I remember there was a time when 518 00:28:16,250 --> 00:28:18,730 I was really struggling with disappointment, to the point 519 00:28:18,730 --> 00:28:21,130 where I was having trouble even praying. 520 00:28:21,370 --> 00:28:23,930 I knew that I needed to. I knew that I needed to sit down 521 00:28:24,090 --> 00:28:26,530 and talk to God and just bring to him all the things that were 522 00:28:26,530 --> 00:28:28,650 on my heart. But I just felt so much internal 523 00:28:28,650 --> 00:28:30,570 resistance. That was difficult for a while. 524 00:28:30,970 --> 00:28:34,010 Finally, I ended up just sitting down and just telling God what's 525 00:28:34,010 --> 00:28:36,770 on my mind, which is that it just didn't feel like he cared 526 00:28:37,370 --> 00:28:42,290 about me or about what I wanted. And in response, this reply came 527 00:28:42,290 --> 00:28:43,530 so clearly. It's so interesting. 528 00:28:43,530 --> 00:28:44,770 I don't know if this has happened to you, this like, 529 00:28:44,770 --> 00:28:47,450 moment where you're like, there's this, like, sudden burst 530 00:28:47,450 --> 00:28:49,490 of, like, very clear wisdom and you're like, that's not from me. 531 00:28:49,490 --> 00:28:51,410 I don't know who it's from. Maybe it's from the Holy Spirit. 532 00:28:51,730 --> 00:28:56,170 But basically, the reply was this, I know it feels to you 533 00:28:56,170 --> 00:29:00,530 right now like I'm the like I'm the antagonist in this story, 534 00:29:00,530 --> 00:29:04,260 but I'm not. I'm with you and I'm for you, 535 00:29:04,260 --> 00:29:08,460 and that never changes. And the realization that I had 536 00:29:08,460 --> 00:29:11,020 at that moment was that I was seeing things upside down. 537 00:29:11,460 --> 00:29:14,220 I had translated, not getting what I wanted to, meaning that 538 00:29:14,220 --> 00:29:17,220 God didn't care. Instead of believing that God 539 00:29:17,220 --> 00:29:20,620 heard my prayers and was answering them according to His 540 00:29:20,620 --> 00:29:24,060 wisdom and His patience, which far exceeds mine. 541 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:27,920 So with time we often begin to see that God's ways were better 542 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:30,840 than our ways, and that He truly does work all things together 543 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:35,560 for good for those who love Him. Because God is good, God is with 544 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:39,800 you, God is in control. God is good. 545 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:45,480 So to end our time today in the Word, I want to invite you all 546 00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:48,080 to join me in an exercise. It's very brief. 547 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:50,960 And then we'll transition after that to a time of worship 548 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:53,200 through song and through prayer, as usual. 549 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:55,800 But right now, I'm going to ask you to just engage your 550 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,640 imagination for a moment. So if it's helpful for you, you 551 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:00,960 can close your eyes to eliminate distraction, whatever you think 552 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:02,960 would be useful. So we're just going to take a 553 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:08,320 moment and bring to mind a situation in your life where you 554 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:13,120 need encouragement. Whatever is coming to mind 555 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:15,800 first. A situation in life where you 556 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:22,640 need encouragement. Maybe it's a difficult situation 557 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:25,770 at work. Maybe it's that you're out of 558 00:30:25,770 --> 00:30:28,530 work, you're looking for a job you have been for some time. 559 00:30:29,970 --> 00:30:33,570 Maybe it's a challenging relationship or a heavyweight in 560 00:30:33,570 --> 00:30:36,330 the life of someone you love that you can't lift for them. 561 00:30:38,050 --> 00:30:39,730 Maybe it's an unfulfilled desire. 562 00:30:41,290 --> 00:30:44,290 Maybe it's a recurring experience of anxiety or shame 563 00:30:44,330 --> 00:30:52,780 in your life. So whatever is coming to mind 564 00:30:52,780 --> 00:30:57,110 right now, imagine it as if it's literally a wall in front of 565 00:30:57,110 --> 00:30:59,670 you, a literal obstacle in your path. 566 00:31:01,590 --> 00:31:03,670 Now I'm going to speak the same words that we've been talking 567 00:31:03,670 --> 00:31:07,790 about and just imagine speaking these words to that obstacle to 568 00:31:07,790 --> 00:31:11,670 that wall and just watching it crumble away word by word, 569 00:31:11,670 --> 00:31:13,590 moment by moment, truth by truth. 570 00:31:15,830 --> 00:31:22,880 God is with me. God is with me, he tells us. 571 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:26,320 His very name is Emmanuel. God with us. 572 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:32,440 Even when I can't see him, even when I can't understand how he 573 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:38,240 is working, God is here. God is in control. 574 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:42,240 God has not ignored my struggles. 575 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:47,760 God has heard my prayers and he is not done working yet. 576 00:31:50,020 --> 00:31:54,220 God has not reached the end of his plans or his resources, and 577 00:31:54,220 --> 00:31:57,460 I have yet to see how faithful he can be. 578 00:31:58,420 --> 00:32:02,300 God is in control and God is good. 579 00:32:03,660 --> 00:32:07,140 God is my help and my encouragement when I'm in need. 580 00:32:08,220 --> 00:32:12,380 He is a God of redemption and he can and will work all things for 581 00:32:12,380 --> 00:32:15,900 good. He is for me and not against me. 582 00:32:17,140 --> 00:32:20,840 God is good. Amen. 583 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:22,680 Let me pray for us now.