How Jesus Stayed Encouraged - And I Can Too

One of the reasons why we decided to have the picture that we have above us was very intentional because we knew what was coming below that picture. We were being asked to live a very high standard of life and when you live a higher and higher standard of life it is so easy to be tempted to give up and which is why when we also knew that we were broken human beings who were sharing God's word from the pulpit and so we used to tell people if you ever are discouraged or condemned by something you hear this high you're looking and you're looking at somebody this high saying something wrong just keep looking up just go another two feet up and you'll see what is the God of the new covenant it doesn't mean that a father does not have strong discipline for his children it doesn't mean that the father does not want the child to grow up to be mature and complete those are the words the bible uses about Jesus it was about God the father but we often get it wrong those of us who are standing here and speaking we get it wrong as we are trying to encourage our wives but that is why it's so important for us to find our encouragement in Christ Proverbs 11 25 those who encourage others will be encouraged and we have to keep that cycle going it's a full cycle of those who encourage others will be encouraged and so the secret to get out of discouragement is to seek to encourage others and the secret to encouraging others is to be encouraged and when we are quiet or when we miss the midweek meetings because we don't have a good track record because we are failing we've got no chance of getting encouraged because the pathway to encouragement is to seek to encourage others the pathway out of discouragement is to seek to encourage others this is something that I didn't learn from studying the bible this is something I learned from experiencing the body of Christ here at NCCF and as I was consistent and disciplined to be faithful to ask the Lord to give me something to encourage others I found that discouragement slipped away but it's not just saying whatever comes to our mind it is encouraging ourselves in the Lord well let me read one verse in 1 Samuel chapter 30 in Samuel chapter 30 it says that David was in a very difficult situation in his life because it's crazy it's crazy what the people were thinking of doing they people had raided the camp while he was gone with his with his army soldiers not a big old soldiers but they came back and found that his his wives and children have been taken including David's two wives and this verse 6 says that they were talking about stoning him imagine his own people these are some people first you got Saul and everybody else trying to kill him but now his own people his own band of army are thinking of killing him and they were embittered each one because of his sons and his daughters but here's what David did at that time of great discouragement or temptation to discouragement it says in the King James Bible he encouraged himself in the Lord he strengthened himself he became strong in the Lord by encouraging himself in Christ God and Jesus because many times we think Lord if only you would speak a word if only you would have an event that would just shake me out of this thing but I'm feeling so discouraged maybe a mountaintop experience that would change it maybe I'll go to a conference maybe I'll go and listen to a message I listen to it and I search the internet I'm like okay maybe this message will encourage me I look at like look at the life of Jesus and how he got encouraged if you look at scripture whenever you see Jesus is Jesus had much better experiences than any of us probably will ever have God spoke to him verbally when he was baptized out of water God's voice from heaven never heard of anybody getting baptized in the voice coming out and saying this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased the mount of transfiguration another wonderful moment we'd take one moment and probably live off that for decades if we would have one moment of the mount of transfiguration we see Elijah and Moses and your voice again comes from heaven this is my beloved son listen to him and so we say Lord you are different than me I've never had these experiences you had these experiences to encourage you what are the experiences that I have that'll encourage me and there are things that have helped me as I've thought about these things or how do I encourage myself when I want an event I want a meeting with God I want something and experiences never sustain experiences never deliver and I see that even in the life of Jesus it wasn't experiences that sustained him it wasn't experiences that sustain him in fact it wasn't a voice from God that sustained him that was very helpful for me because I go to God and say God you know I want to listen to your voice morning by morning I want to listen to your voice and I get nothing I don't hear anything what do I do then and then I see that Jesus also heard nothing at times in his life when he was on the cross when he's getting whipped any voice from heaven any recorded of a voice from heaven saying my son I'm with you me or my beloved son I hear emptiness I hear silence 40 days being beset by the devil 40 days no food I don't hear a voice from heaven I talked about the mount of transfiguration I talked about the baptism but then that's the good moment I'm on fire I know how I was when I was wanting to get baptized I was full on fire but then you ask many people what happens after you baptize well it got difficult well it got real difficult for Jesus and that's when we want to hear the voice from God if I were the person I'd say Lord can we just shift this voice to be maybe 23 days in the wilderness to hear this voice from heaven saying you're my beloved son I'm not trying to read too much out of the silence of scripture but I see something I say Lord in those moments what did you go on what drove you what sustained you that's what David said David encouraged himself in the Lord in Jesus's most difficult trials we see that God didn't speak in a verbal voice to him so it wasn't the experience that sustained Jesus and that encouraged Jesus one of the things that we know in the in the temptations it was his confidence in the word of God he knew what God had said that was something that was a sword to him that after 38 days after 39 days after 40 days he knew what God said as it related to that bread that stone that could become bread he knew no I don't live by bread alone I live by words that was a sword that he didn't have in his hand that I don't think was suddenly that happened after 40 days after three hours of not having bread that's when it'll start affecting me where's my bread after four days I'm sure he had to use that sword over and over again so even if we don't hear God verbally even if we don't have an experience we can be encouraged in the Lord we have to know God through his word this verse in this passage in John chapter 12 this is the time Jesus did hear a voice from heaven but it didn't answer his question John chapter 12 if you want to turn there he did hear a voice from heaven now listen to this John chapter 12 verse 27 this is Jesus saying now my soul has become troubled what shall I say father save me from this hour but for this purpose I came to this hour father glorify my name now here's Jesus let's not too quickly jump to the answer father glorify my name this is a Jesus who's greatly troubled he's deeply troubled temptation of discouragement is knocking at the door we could say my soul is troubled which way can I go I could just give up I can say Lord just save me from this he says father glorify your name and here's what the voice from heaven came from heaven that's what I was I was struck by I was struck by the father's encouraging response to Jesus when Jesus was troubled that's sounds like me when I'm discouraged or tempted to be discouraged I'm going through a hard time when the people are all against me my soul is troubled at this point the voice comes from heavens doesn't say now my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased it's a different statement that the father says here this is a very simple statement that the father says I am going to glorify my name my will is going to reign supreme I honestly don't care about your soul being troubled is what I got out of this and I mean that with respect God cares more deeply for sparrows that fall on the ground and for every hair that's on my head he cares more deeply but Jesus God was not entertaining any of this coddling or let me relate with you and your soul is troubled I'm committed to glorifying my name that is the only straight line that ever exists is the will of God and glorifying his name God does all things according to the counsel of his will is what the Ephesians chapter one he does you know who does God reach out to who does God pick up the phone when he needs advice it says that in Ephesians chapter one God does all things according to the counsel of his will so you know who's God's counselor his will whenever God needs to know what should I do he says what's my will you know obviously I'm making a little bit of a stretch just to understand God's non-negotiable is his will and glorifying his name is the one thing that God says I don't all the discouragement that's going on in your life my will is going to get accomplished what job you're going to get what school you're going to get into what health you're going to have or not have what house you're going to have or not have all these things my will is going to happen and we can come to rest we can get encouragement in our discouragement not from getting what we want not from the feelings of my soul being troubled going away but us realizing that God's radical commitment is to his will and his will is best at all times that is the way we pull ourselves out of discouragement and into being encouraged I learned this lesson way too late especially in my young years I got so shaken like a boat on the seas that I didn't realize that it didn't matter how much I cried or wept or fasted or read God's word or went to conferences or anything else what would not change was the will of God if he didn't want me to get into that job he's not going to give it to me there's no penance I can do if he didn't want me to marry that girl I wasn't going to get married to that girl if he didn't want me to get into that college I wasn't getting into the college it wasn't because my knees weren't sore enough or because I didn't remember enough scripture I wasn't even faithful enough it had nothing to do with that he's my father he has a will that's best for me and God says the great challenge is we need to come into that way it's like trains just sliding on the train track and we can go so easily rather the engine driver trying to yank it in its own way the tracks have been laid dear brothers and sisters this is a wonderful way in which we can just say we can encourage ourselves in the Lord and we can humble ourselves under the almighty hand of God who works all things according to his will and that's what Jesus was saying Lord my soul is troubled I want a word from you give me a word and so dear brothers and sisters if you want to hear a word from God here it is in any trouble you're going through God's saying I'm going to glorify my name that's it get in line with that get in line with that I'm going to do my will and that's the secret of Christ's life I came not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me but it's coming in a line with and realizing that God's will is for my best that's what the prodigal son came back home and said my father's will is the best for 33 year plus years Jesus did that I want to show you this beautiful verse in Hebrews chapter 10 Hebrews chapter 10 Hebrews chapter 10 verse 11 dear brothers and sisters this is what happens when we do the will of God this is the massive completely different kingdom life we can live if we do the will of God and we embrace the will of God Hebrews chapter 10 verse 11 every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices which can never take away sins but he having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time sat down at the right hand of God waiting from that time onward until his enemies be made a footstool for his feet I want to just underline two words in Hebrews chapter 10 11 through 13 the one word which says in verse the third word there every priest stands and then Jesus sat in verse 12 this is the difference between the old covenant life and the new covenant life Hebrews chapter 10 verse 11 is the new old covenant life that many Christians are living standing ministering time after time the same sacrifices which cannot take away God they take away sin and here's Jesus who's the only one only priest who got to sit down in God's presence and we it has been useful for me to meditate on this just imagine priests stands daily daily constantly offering sacrifices doing this making sure the incense is okay wonderful things God's way standing walking around doing this doing this and they're still doing it today can never take away sin and here's an alternative Jesus who sat down this is the glory of Jesus because he never did his own will because he stuck with the will of God the father for 33 plus years God said you get to sit down and we have two choices now in God's kingdom too I'm not saying whether you're going to go to heaven or hell or not but what kind of life are you living you want to have the new covenant life God wants you to go and be seated in the heavenly places God doesn't want us to stand ministering constantly trying to please God the first step that Christ tells us to do is come and sit be seated in the heavenlies that's Ephesians chapter 2 before he gets to Ephesians chapter 4 where he tells us to walk in humility and gentleness he says you first come and be seated on my lap the one who is seated on the lap of love is the one who explains the father that's John chapter 1 verse 17 or 18 it's the one who's seated on the lap of love in God's most intimate place he's the only one who's got the ability to explain God as a father to know God as a father it comes from us being seated Jesus got the right to be seated not Daniel not Samuel not some great priests like Ezra others others like that they didn't get to be seated they had to keep standing ministering but then Jesus comes along king and priest and he does it in a way that God says you get to sit down because he never did his own will and he said God your will your being glorified is all that matters in my life and so this has come to me and I will give you rest I'll get you to sit down but it comes at a cost it's not just a freebie it's offered for free but it comes at the cost of us not doing our own will it's us choosing to say God your will reign supreme I'm going to encourage myself not in my circumstances not in my feelings but that your will is going to win that's the game for me the game for me is not money the game for me is that somebody's soul got set back right to the Lord my currency is not money my currency is souls my currency is the glory of God I'm looking at that bank account and saying God is your glory going up by somebody else sinning and I'm troubled is the glory of God going up by somebody stopping to sin I'm encouraged the glory of God is my currency how much is in my bank account is how much I value the glory of God whether it's my child sinning or somebody's child somebody else's child who's sinning we get to sit down in God's presence every day let's value this tremendous gift we were given first of all we were excluded from the old covenant promises because that was for the Israelites but imagine if God extended the old covenant to our lives we're still been standing around ministering busying ourselves in the holy place making sure the bread is there fresh making sure that the incense is good candles are lit reading our Bible every day fasting praying doing this doing that God says the new covenant is first be seated embracing God's will and relinquishing all the unanswered questions in our lives your will winning is the only thing that matters there is a time when Jesus also stands up Acts chapter 7 when Stephen is put to death Stephen speaks a very strong message to the Pharisees and he talks about heaven is my throne verse 14 earth is the footstool of my feet what kind of house will you build for me and Stephen was saying he wants it to be your hearts but verse 54 they heard this they were cut to the quick and they started stoning him and verse 55 Jesus Stephen being full of the Holy Spirit Stephen being full of the Holy Spirit sees Jesus standing the man who was seated stood up why did he stand up because he saw a young man have courage to stand up against a system teenagers there's a system in your school God wants you to be seated in the heavenly places but then he says now go to your school and be around this broken evil system where the boys ogle at the girls and the girls gossip and fill their minds with filth and here's young Stephen standing up against the system and they're going to stone him for it but he being full of the Holy Spirit sees Jesus not seated that's where he belongs Jesus standing up this is what is at stake dear young people dear brothers and sisters in all of our jobs in our workplaces in our schools especially colleges God's looking for Stephens who will be seated full of the Holy Spirit seated with God every day not doing the will of themselves but doing the will of God day after day and then one day the system revolts against them and the system hauls them up and says who do you think you are you think you're better than us you think you're special you're a weirdo that's when you get to have courage we strengthen ourselves in the Lord and we see Jesus standing up clapping that's my brother the Romans let me end with Romans chapter 8 verse 16 the spirit himself testifies with your spirit that your children of God no human can do that the Holy Spirit when you die to yourself when we die to ourselves we there's this message that my dad has spoken soulless or spiritual you should read that he you blast through the rock of your self-will well what happens when you block blast through the rock of your self-will that's the veil that was talked about in that message when you blast through that rock of yourself will you go to the most holy place well who's in the most holy place the Holy Spirit and that's where we hear the Holy Spirit saying you're my son because you didn't do your own will we are Lord where I can't hear you I can't hear you yes because you haven't rent your self-will you're too worried what people think about you you're too worried how people will receive you when you do God's way God says break and blast that self-will then that way is open into the most holy place that's where the spirit is sitting you asked him to come into your heart didn't you well he came but his voice has been drowned out by the brick wall of your self-will and we got to blast it and when we enter the most holy place from scripture we got to hear that God says yes my spirit testifies with your spirit not with your feelings not with a verbal voice but as he's testifying to your spirit attaboy you did it that's my girl that's the voice of the Holy Spirit that we got to train ourselves to hear every day not the mountaintop experience but day after day as we blast our self-will not my will your will be done Lord you you glorify your name we blast this will God says I'll stand up for you this kind of I stand up for such a person and I feel like God's the ways of such a man are more opened up in beautiful ways it's a wonderful gospel we have all in response all in response to what Jesus tells us to first do which is to come sit on his lap because of what Christ did on the cross this is how we can encourage others too dear brothers and sisters as we've heard let us encourage ourselves in the Lord those who water others will be watered let's keep that cycle going I want to put up a few verses of a song by a man called Frederick Faber I just put a snippet of those verses for you to put up we can listen to them we can read this this man was a poet but he talks about the will of God as if it's a person I worship the this person called the will of God and all your ways I adore it and every day I live I seem to love thee who's thee not God I seem to love God's will more and more you that this will use not this is not God the will of God was the blessed rule of Jesus's toils and tears the will of God was the passion of Jesus's heart for three and 30 years a few verses down just picture this this Frederick Faber can we do this I love to kiss this poetic language I love to kiss each footprint where the will of God has set unseen feet coming in the future an email sent by my boss that I don't want a conflict in the home a health issue that I didn't that's the unseen footprints and this is a man saying I love to kiss each footprint where you have set your unseen foot because I cannot fear you Mr. blessed will of God your kingdom is so sweet right on right on triumphantly you glorious will right on that's what they were singing to Jesus when he came in on a donkey well they're not singing that when he was being crucified but that's what we do when we have been crucified right on right on triumphantly you glorious will not my will your glorious will right on faith pilgrims we can he always next one he always wins who sides with God he always wins did you win did you get into that college the world tells you you didn't win no you always win who sides with God to him nothing is lost God's will is sweetest when it triumphs at his cost God can't fill us when we are full of ourselves we God can't fill us when we're full of our wills his will can't has no space for us to get into us dear brothers and sisters let's kiss the feet of God's will I don't know what's in front of you but a lot of unseen paths but let's think about that that picture as trouble may hit you as trouble may have hit you and as you think about your past as you are still not quite understood why God allowed you to go through something dear brothers and sisters encourage yourself why God took a loved one before their time why God allowed certain thing to happen in your life I'm not speaking from something that the Lord has not told me to do well will you go and kiss those footprints because I allowed him compassionate merciful God allowed it father in heaven allowed those footprints and your life will be in order you'll be seated with me if you'll embrace my will not your will so tremendously encouragement that we can get out of God's ways and it's that encouragement that we give to others it's the will of God dear brothers and sisters that matters that's it don't worry about anything else let's sing one song this song it's too long a song to sing go meditate on this these words it may be hard English high school students do it great English homework for you I used to do this I can't remember when it was I used to take these poems which are difficult to understand I'd meditate on it and I'd write thoughts on each verse I have a whole book that I went through and I wrote like songs like this and I wrote my meditations on it and really helped me think about these verses the godly men have written and think about what God revealed to them that he can reveal to us too and those of you don't know English too well you have brothers and sisters in our church who can help you whatever level you're in and if nothing else look at the life of Jesus all of this points to the life of Jesus