Exhortations to Encourage Each Other

  Exhortations to Encourage Each Other (Part 1)

Phil.4:1-5a

In the book of Acts, a man named Barnabus was known for his encouragement. (Acts 4:36) He was instrumental in encouraging the disciples to accept Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 9:27), and it was Barnabus that went to get Paul in Tarsus (Acts 11:19-26), and Barnabus went with Paul on his first missions trips to the gentiles (Acts 13-14). Paul learned to encourage others as Barnabus had encouraged him. 

Now Paul is exhorting the church in Philippi to encourage others with the truth of God’s Word. In verse one, Paul exhorts the church to stay true to the Lord, “ Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.” If there was ever a phrase for this church, it was to give themselves fully to trust and faith in the Lord, not to waiver but stand steadfast in the truth of God’s Word in the midst of all their life’s trials. There was a danger that they would revert back to their previous lifestyles because of the persecution from the world.

Application - I don’t know about your story, but I know that I have had Barnabuses and Pauls in my life. They have encouraged me in some of my greatest trials. In the beginning of my life with Jesus, I had men and women who encouraged me to not give in to the ways and cultures of this world that were warring against my soul. When I was in Bible college, Betsy McMullen helped me with the hurdles of student housing. There was a professor, Marjore Stewart, who told me to hold on to her hand (figuratively) and she would help me through the roadblocks of college classes. Then in my first pastorate, I had mentor pastors to encourage me like Pastor Don Strong and Pastor Dale Carpenter, who saw me through difficult times and against spiritual and physical attacks of the enemy. 

In the church today, we must encourage each other to stay true to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are living in a time when deceit is rampant and it is almost in every area of life. We must hold tight to the truth of God’s Word. There is an old exhortation saying, “If you don’t believe in something, you will fall for everything.” It is definitely true in our trust and faith in Jesus Christ. I want to exhort and encourage everyone to stand steadfast in your walk with Jesus, so that you don’t fall for the deceit in these last days. Paul warning the church then is very applicable today. 

  In verse two and three, Paul exhorts the church to agree to love one another, for perfect love covers a multitude of sins. Paul was dealing with disagreements in the midst of those who were chosen to help him in his mission to reach the gentiles with the gospel. No one really knows what the disagreement was about between the two women, but it needed to be resolved. “Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement.” In chapter 2:14-15, Paul exhorts the Church in Philippi to not complain or argue,  “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Peter gives us an additional encouragement in 4:8 “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

Application - You don’t have to be in the church long, before you begin to see people disagreeing on something. Whether it is the decor of the church, the music, the clothes that the person was wearing, church politics or politics in general. Then there are the disagreements that go on in the governing of the church: Pastor’s wages, how will we finance this project or that, who is incharge of various ministries, and which version of the Bible is correct. It is amazing that any one of these things have been reasons for people leaving the church, or church divisions.

We as a church must come back to the commands given us by Jesus. I was talking to a person who is not a believer about life, she mentioned disagreements that she had with religions. I told her that Jesus commanded us to do three things: Love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; to love one another as He had loved us; and to follow Him. All she could see in religion was hatred, and she was correct from her perspective. We as the Church, argue, grumble, complain, and disagree on many frivolous issues. What she didn’t see is the love and forgiveness we have received in Jesus Christ. Today, the church needs to be the Light, not the darkness. We need to show the commands of Jesus in our lives, so that those who are in the world will be able to tell the difference. As the time of Christ’s coming draws near, the importance of love and light will be the only thing that will dispel it. In one of Martin Luther King’s speeches, he said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." 

In verse four, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” Again, Paul encouraged them to be full of joy in the Holy Spirit. In chapter three, Paul’s words were that rejoicing in the Lord was a safeguard for our lives, soul and spirit. Paul understood the benefit and advantage he had in confronting the world and the enemy, that to be full of joy was truly his strength. David, the champion king, knew that his real strength was not in his sling or sword, or in his wit and battle strategies, it was in his God. “But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.” Psalms 5:11-12  The church in Philippi needed the safeguard of rejoicing in the Lord. The fullness of joy that casts out all doubt and unbelief, fear and anxiety. Paul probably reminded them of his imprisonment in Philippi. When in chains and stocks, barred and beaten, he and Silas were full of joy in the Holy Spirit as they sang songs about Jesus and to Jesus. It was in this fullness of joy that God was truly their strength and deliverance.

Application - The most strengthened time in any believer’s life will be when they are full of joy in the Holy Spirit. I can remember in the midst of greatest victories we rejoiced with shouts of joy, songs of praise, but it was also in the midst of the greatest trials, our strength comes from the joy of the Holy Spirit. When I received salvation on a Sunday morning in Fairbanks, AK. I was set free of my sins and given a life that seemed to burst from within me. Like the song we sing, “He is the air I breathe” I was breathing in joy unspeakable and full of glory. 

And on the lowest days, it was this joy in the Holy Spirit that strengthened me to continue on. My family was following God’s calling on our lives. We had placed everything in God’s hands when we left Alaska, and in the first three months of Bible college, we lost our home and all equity, we couldn’t find any housing at college and had to live with families in different cities. We couldn’t understand the why’s at first, but we knew the joy of the Holy Spirit and His promises. He gave us a home near the college to rent, He provided a job for me at night, He gave us finances to meet every bill. 

We have to understand the importance of being full of the joy of the Holy Spirit. As Paul stated, “I’ll say again, rejoice.” This whole world seems to be spinning out of control: the pandemic, rioting, division and deceit, but we can and should be full of the joy of the Lord because we know that He is in control and He is our strength and deliverer.

In the first part of verse five , Paul encourages the Church in Philippi to be considerate in all that they did amongst themselves and among others. “Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.” In other translations, It says “to let your gentleness be evident to all.” Paul had to learn the hard way the value of being considerate or gentle in the early years of his walk in Christ. When Paul began His ministry shortly after his conversion, He had run-ins with certain people. He and John Mark didn’t mesh in the ministry, he had confrontation with christians in Corinth, but through his growing maturity in Christ, Paul became more gentle with fellow workers, converts, and churches. Paul understood the value of Christ-like gentleness as He shared the gospel with a lost world that was entangled with anger, fear, unbelief, and sinful habits.

Application - Imagine the results of witnessing an angry and fearful world. They don’t trust hardly anyone, they are suspicious of those around them because of lies and half-truths being told to them. They are familiar with abuse of power and corruption from the top down. They are tired of the oligarchy of despots in government, both local and world-wide. They are herded around as plebeians and told that they cannot do this or that without government permission. They are told that their only hope is through government programs that have strict control guidelines, that are enforced by policing authorities.

Sound familiar? This was much like the times of Paul under the Roman world rule, and we are starting to see it in the world today. If we are going to be the salt and light in our world, gentleness and consideration must be our attitude and lifestyle. Think about how Jesus related to the poor, outcast, and lost and abused. He came in gentleness and consideration as a shepherd who saw lost, sick, maligned, and angry sheep.

Today, we are to be the Paul’s to the world. We are to be the hands of the Lord to people who do not know gentleness, they live in an inconsiderate world. Again, the command of Jesus is to love one another. This I believe will assist in reaching a lost and dying world. Share the gospel with gentleness and consideration. Use the ABC’s of salvation in love to reach those who Jesus died for and loves.

A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis