Meditate, Memorize, or Simply Be Encouraged By: 1 Corinthians 10:24

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You know I have a pastor’s heart, so you know I’m going to try to find a way to tell you “The coal goes out when it’s removed from the embers, but it burns bright when it’s close to them in the fire.”

And you’re right, as I studied the Word I found some verse that seemed to fit together to expand on meeting together for encouragement. Here is what Scripture says strengthens us:

1. Grace

Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. Hebrews 13:9 (New International Version)

2. Speaking

Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. 2 Corinthians 12:19 (New International Version)

3. Music, Teaching, Revelation and Supernatural Gifts

What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. 1 Corinthians 14:26 (New International Version)

4. Prophecy

But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 1 Corinthians 14:3 (New International Version)

5. Individuals

…and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker[a] in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles. 1 Thessalonians 3:2-3 (New Living Translation)

6. Love

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 (New International Version)

I know the church is often the last place to find grace. I’ve sat through sermons from Job’s friends. I’ve been there when performance outstrips presence. I’ve experienced love turned inward while I’ve been left on the outside. I’ve seen prophecy used to manipulate. I’ve seen the Word used to pummel… and still I’m insisting the gathered church is where you can be – no should be – strengthened.

Too often when we are at the end of the rope, we find enough excuses to withdraw from meeting together. Don’t.

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We’re continuing our series on How to Steward Your Destiny. I’ve already written about how to seek wise counsel and look to what you have in your nature, in your passion and in your pain.  Today we look at the principle of borrowing.

In 2 Kings 4:1-7 the widow was told to gather up all the empty jars she could.  In stewarding your destiny learn from others who are walking the path you want to walk. You’re not observing them to copy them, but to glean what you can. God isn’t in to copycats. He made us all unique for a reason.  What skills will you need that you must improve on? What wisdom are you lacking? Whose anointing will you come under?

Read books. Listen to podcasts. Get email newsletters for where you want to walk. Study courses. Find a mentor. Get the skills you need to do the work He’s entrusted you to do.

Use the advantage you have as a follower of Christ – borrow from the Holy Spirit – He teaches you all things. Spend time with Him and ask Him for supernatural keys to do what He’s asked you to do. You have the creator of the universe to ask for creativity from. He can speak to us in dreams. Pay attention to the dreams you have at night. Intelligent people are always ready to learn, their ears are open for knowledge

Be wise in who you borrow from. They key is keeping in step with the Spirit. I’ve learned the hard way to avoid a certain type of internet marketeer. They don’t answer the questions I have. They only show a basic knowledge in their area of supposed expertise. They are more interested in selling whatever product that makes them the most money that day.

Yes intelligent people are ready to learn, but what they learn is also important.

I recommend products, but only ones I use and find useful that I know will be useful for others. I’m more interested in producing exceptional informational products myself. Anyway, study well, but don’t get stuck on the study-to-action ratio. Apparently for most people it’s 12-1. We study 12x the materials we act on.

In the next post I’ll let you know how I’ve learned to start acting on the materials I study.

Let me know how you do it. Comments are welcome.

You know I have a pastor’s heart, so you know I’m going to try to find a way to tell you “The coal goes out when it’s removed from the embers, but it burns bright when it’s close to them in the fire.”

And you’re right, as I studied the Word I found some verse that seemed to fit together to expand on meeting together for encouragement. Here is what Scripture says strengthens us:

Grace

Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. Hebrews 13:9  (New International Version)

Speaking

Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. 2 Corinthians 12:19  (New International Version)

Music, Teaching, Revelation and Supernatural Gifts

What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. 1 Corinthians 14:26  (New International Version)

Prophecy

But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 1 Corinthians 14:3  (New International Version)

Individuals

…and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker[a] in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles. 1 Thessalonians 3:2-3 (New Living Translation)

Love

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 (New International Version)

I know the church is often the last place to find grace. I’ve sat through sermons from Job’s friends. I’ve been there when performance outstrips presence. I’ve experienced love turned inward while I’ve been left on the outside. I’ve seen prophecy used to manipulate. I’ve seen the Word used to pummel… and still I’m insisting the gathered church is where you can be – no should be – strengthened.

Too often when we are at the end of the rope, we find enough excuses to withdraw from meeting together. Don’t.

Instead realize you are the church and that the one who refreshes others will they themselves be refreshed (Proverbs 11:25). You can make the place you gather a place where people are strengthened… so don’t be afraid to hug.

I need to give a warning, and I’m not here to single anyone out. But I have heard it from many people and I confess, I’ve participated at times. We can’t allow it any longer in the Body.

Let’s go to a Bible story that’s rarely taught in Sunday School.

Genesis 9:18-28 (New Living Translation)

The sons of Noah who came out of the boat with their father were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham is the father of Canaan.) From these three sons of Noah came all the people who now populate the earth.

After the flood, Noah began to cultivate the ground, and he planted a vineyard. One day he drank some wine he had made, and he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his brothers. Then Shem and Japheth took a robe, held it over their shoulders, and backed into the tent to cover their father. As they did this, they looked the other way so they would not see him naked.

Noah was a righteous man. He was the last one God called “perfect”. It’s clear from Noah’s response later in the text that his son Ham was likely going to his brothers to laugh about the state of their “perfect” father. It was not a concerned “What do we do?” or else Noah would not have cursed Canaan. What Ham did was to further the shame of his father, and the curse was passed to his kids.

Children, stop doing this to your parents. Quit mocking them even in fun for their mistakes or idiosyncrasies. Adult children do this in front of their kids and don’t expect it to be returned upon them later in life. Your judgment of others limits your destiny. This is especially clear when children mock or try to shame their parents. I’m not old, but I’ve lived long enough to see children judge their parents the same way their parents judged their grandparents.

The lesson from this account isn’t just for covering up the mistakes of parents. It should be our model every time shame is exposed. We don’t make a joke about it. We don’t hold them up to judgment. We show them honor by not exposing their shame.

Incidentally, not exposing the shame of one who is fallen but who has repented is one of the most difficult things for a church leader to do. People want the details. But if they’re not part of the solution or part of the problem, to discuss the details is simply gossip. And if the individual has repented and is trying to make it right, their is no reason to expose their shame. The easy course is for the church leader to expose the sin and stop the vultures circling him or her. It’s easy enough to expose a dead corpse to the birds.

But our mandate is reconciliation and we cannot expose the shame of others to save ourselves from unfair judgments. If you’re a church leader, don’t worry. I’ll give you tools to honor those who have fallen and those who want to rip into you because you won’t play the gossip game. Stay tuned.