Culture of Encouragement (sermon notes)

I have to start my sermons with something funny:
Two men crashed in their private plane on a South Pacific Island . Both survived. One of the men brushed himself off and then proceeded to run all over the island to see if they had any chance of survival. When he returned, he rushed up to the other man and screamed, 'This island is uninhabited, there is no food, there is no water. We are going to die!' The other man leaned back against the fuselage of the wrecked plane, folded his arms and responded, 'No we're not. I make over $250,000 a week.' The first man grabbed his friend and shook him. 'Listen, we are on an uninhabited island. There is no food, no water . We are going to die!' The other man, unruffled, again responded. 'No, I make over $250,000 a week.' Mystified, the first man, taken aback with such an answer again repeated, 'For the last time, I'm telling you we ARE doomed. There is NO one else on this island. There is NO food. There is NO water. We are, I repeat, we are going to die a slow death.' Still unfazed, the first man looked the other in the eyes and said, 'Do not make me say this again. I make over $250,000 per week. I am a Christian: I tithe. MY PASTOR WILL FIND US!'

Today we conclude my new vision sermon series…I’ve been asking the church to dream again!
What is God calling you to do at NBCC?
Everybody is a minister, Everybody needs a ministry
I hope you’ll show up to today’s team mtg. and find a way to contribute…
I pray we are truly creating a NEW culture of Mission, Love, Passion, Team, Celebration, Kindness, Family and finally let’s focus on creating a culture of Encouragement…

You may have noticed that our world is full of discouragement…
If you get any dose of what the tv evening news has to offer, it’s a wonder we’re not all jumping off a bridge…
Because of all the stress, pressure, pain, trouble surrounding us, I think it even more important that the church be a culture of encouragement…
People get “gooed” enough in their daily lives, there needs to be a place they can come to find hope, peace…to be built up not torn down…
If church isn’t that place, than what is?

Romans 15:1-6
Let me read verses 4&5 from the NIV:
Romans 15:4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.Romans 15:5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,

This is the first time I’ve noticed the word comfort and encouragement used interchangeably in scripture…
That better be point #1
How can we be a culture of encouragement?
1. Comfort one another

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 (you may want to turn there)Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
If that doesn’t crank your tractor
your feelers broke

How can we be a culture of encouragement?
Comfort one another…
And the greatest way to comfort one another is found back at Romans 15 verse 4…that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope…
There it is!
The only way to truly build a culture of encouragement is with the Word of God.
Scripture breathes encouragement!

Remember what Romans 10:17 says
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God
Encouragement is speaking faith into someone
Encouragement is choosing faith instead of fear
What is faith?
This is what one unknown author wrote…
Faith isn't anything you can see;it isn't anything you can touch.But you can feel it in your heart.Faith is what keeps you tryingwhen others would have given up.It keeps you believing inthe goodness of othersand helps you find it.Faith is trusting in a powergreater than yourselfand knowing that whatever happens,this power will carry you through anything.It is believing in yourself and having courage to stand up for what you believe in.Faith is peace in the midst of a storm,determination in the midst of adversity,and safety in the midst of trouble.For nothing can touch a soulthat is protected by faith.

Again, how can we be a culture of encouragement?
Comfort one another
and
2. Speak Faith over one another

Every word off your tongue is either faith or fear…
I challenge you this week to measure your words!
stop and think
Did I just speak faith or fear?
We don’t need anymore talking heads telling us how terrible everything is…
I don’t know about you, but I want to come to the end of my life knowing I’ve made some kind of difference…
Even when you have to make the hard decisions…
Even if you can’t please anybody and that’s ok cause you’re a God pleaser anyway…
Even when faith is truly the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things definitely not seen…
Even when the checkbook’s empty, the cupboards are bare, work is hard to find…
I hear Jesus comforting words in John 14:1…Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart…

A man fell into a pit and couldn't get himself out.A subjective person came along and said, "I feel for you down there."An objective person walked by and said, "It's logical that someone would fall down there."A Pharisee said, "Only bad people fall into pits."A mathematician calculated how he fell into the pit.A news reporter wanted the exclusive story on the pit.An IRS agent asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.A self-pitying person said, "You haven't seen anything until you've seen my pit."A Christian Scientist observed, "The pit is just in your mind."A psychologist noted, "Your mother and father are to blame for your being in the pit."A self-esteem therapist said, "Believe in yourself and you can get out of the pit."An optimist said, "Things could be worse."A pessimist said, "Things will get worse."Jesus, seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.
Faith is being His hand extended…
Reaching to others in their pits and lifting them out with encouraging words…

How can we be a culture of encouragement?
Comfort one another
Speak faith over one another
AND
I think in order to truly pull this off we need to…
3. Get a little radical with one another…

Stick with me here
Let’s go back to where we started at Romans 15
verse 6 says…that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…
To have this kind of unity…
To have this kind of culture that truly glorifies Jesus…
We have to get a little radical about our encouragement!
If we hear one of our members picking, gossiping, whining or complaining…distributing a bad attitude… we call them on it!

We get a little radical, a little bold enough to say…hey, this is a church of encouragement, this is a place of edification, of faith hope and love…
What are you doing with your words right now?
Attitude check!
Some people, even in the church think it’s ok to dump garbage everywhere…
But we can’t allow it if we are truly creating a culture of encouragement…
I’m not talking about being fake or putting on masks or not being able to be real with one another when we’re dealing with the stuff of life…
But we must be aware of the tight rope we’re walking between encouraging and discouraging…
Our words, our actions have power for life or death!
Prov. 18:21

(sing) So be careful little eyes what you see…
ears what you hear…
mouth what you speak…
feet where you go…
hands what you do…
For the Father up above is looking down in love so be careful little…

Can New Beginnings Christian Center truly be a NEW culture of Mission, Love, Passion, TEAM, Celebration, Kindness, Family, Unity and Encouragement?
I’m daring to believe in the VISION!

Hear it again and for the first time…
No Matter Where you’ve been
No Matter what you’ve done
You can begin again
Come to Jesus