James says, “I got off the bus with two cardboard suitcases under my arms in downtown Chicago and stopped in front of the Sears Tower. I put my suitcases down, and looked up at the Tower and said to myself, “I’m going to conquer Chicago.’ When I looked down, the suitcases were gone.”

All of us have disappointments - broken dreams - disillusionment's - crisis - anxiety - turmoil - defeat. Its easy for negativism and cynicism to creep into our lives. As someone has said, “The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlamp of an oncoming train.”

I originally set out to share today about “encouragement”. But, along the way I began to think more and more about discouragement. Encouragement is so important because so much of the time we find ourselves in a place of discouragement.

Maybe you haven’t stopped anyone on the street yet and asked for it - or said it out loud to someone nearby - but the words are there. “Encourage me.” At some time we all need encouragement.

According to the Bureau of Standards in Washington, a dense fog covering seven city blocks to a depth of 100 feet is composed of less that one glass of water. That amount of water is divided into about 60 billion tiny droplets. Yet, when those minute particles settle over San Francisco they can almost blot out everything from our sight.

Too often we live in a fog - cupfuls of troubles cloud our vision and dampen our spirit.

Discouragement is seeing only the fog. Encouragement is when we help each other to see that the fog is not as dense as we think - that we can move through it into God’s light.

I’d like to invite you to turn with me to 1 Thessalonians 5:11-28 and we want to look this morning at what the Apostle Paul says about encouraging each other.

William Barclay once said, “One of the highest of human duties is the duty of encouragement... It is easy to laugh at men’s ideals; it is easy to pour cold water on their enthusiasm; it is easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet. Blessed is the man who speaks such a word.”

1 Thessalonians 5:11 - Here is what the Apostle Paul says: “Therefore - In the preceding verses, Paul has been talking about things that really can discourage us (marital difficulties - social problems - the death of family members) Therefore, Paul says, because of all that I’ve just said - encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

When I’m doing visitations - I’m often shown cards that you have sent or told who from the church has called.. Sometimes, someone will read a card to me that really touched them - helped them to keep going. And, I’ve come to see that this church really does have members who do reach out and encourage others.

Paul really is very positive towards the Thessalonian Church - he shares these great words of encouragement that feel so good to hear - and they apply to this church - “You are encouraging one another.” Turn to the person next to you and say this, “We’re doing this!”

What Paul says in verses 12-28 - what we want to focus on this morning - is really fine tuning. How to be better at what were doing - to be really effective at encouraging each other. Paul focuses us on three fine points of encouragement.

1. ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO ARE WORKING

The people on the front lines of Christian service are the ones who are being shot at the most. If you want to do something for God - you will find a tremendous number of people who will give you solid reasons why it can’t be done - how you’re foolish to try - who the people are who won’t support you. And if you fail... there’s a long line of people waiting to tell you, “I told you so.”

Church Council members - Sunday School teachers - Choir members - Godly husbands who are living in fidelity towards their wives - wives who are living Godly lives in difficult marriages - parents trying to raise their children to know Jesus as their Savior and live in obedience to Him - workers trying to maintain honesty and integrity on the job. Serve Christ - seek to obey Him - and Satan and this society will throw everything against you. And its very easy to get discouraged.

Paul says in verse 12: “We beseech you - we ask you - brethren, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.” - don’t shoot at those who are seeking to serve God - encourage them - “esteem them very highly” - lift them up - show them respect - let them know who much you appreciate them and the example they’re setting - because they need the encouragement.

2. LOOK FOR WAYS TO ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER

Chuck Swindoll, President of Dallas Theological Seminary, writes, “Looking back over thirty-five years (of ministry), I’ve learned a valuable lesson: When people are hurting, they need more than an accurate analysis and diagnosis. More than professional advice. More, much more, than a stern, firm turn of a verbal wrench that cinches everything down tight... They need to sense that we are there because we care... truth and tact make great bedfellows.”

How we treat each other can make a world of difference.

Marion Gilbert - in the Reader’s Digest wrote this, “One morning I opened the door to get the newspaper and was surprised to see a strange little dog with our paper in his mouth. Delighted with this unexpected “delivery service”, I fed him some treats. The following morning I was horrified to see the same dog sitting in front of our door, wagging his tail, surrounded by eight newspapers. I spent the rest of that morning returning the papers to their owners.”

Paul says in verse 14: “And we exhort you - we urge you - brethren, admonish - warn - the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. Verse 15: See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.”

Look for ways to encourage each other - what will help someone to keep going - to hang in there: A phone call - a card - a word of encouragement - “Well done.” “I love you.” “I’m proud of you.” “I’m behind you.” “I’m here for you.” - Send someone flowers - be creative.

In verse 26, Paul says, “Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.” I’ve noticed when Armenian’s kiss it’s usually twice - first on the left cheek, then once, on the right cheek. In France they start on the left and then go to the right and then back to the left - left, right, left. Americans miss out on this because they only kiss someone once.

Physical contact leaves a lasting impression - it is a powerful way to say, “I care about you. There is a relationship between us that matters to me.”

Physical contact - a hand on the shoulder - a firm handshake with meaning - a warm embrace.

Paul says, look for ways to encourage, to comfort, take care of, and do good to each other.

3. ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER TO FOCUS ON GOD

Have you ever been in a situation where you really wanted to say something but didn’t know how to say it - or really know even what to say? We’ve all been there.

Paul says that the best thing we can do for someone who’s discouraged is to help them focus on God. To move away from the clichés and “nice things” that we end up saying - to speak words that really matter - really bring healing and comfort.

First he says - verse 16 - to: “Rejoice always” - Realize and remind each other of God’s presence even in the midst of difficult circumstances. That’s what joy is - realizing the presence of God in our lives.

Second - verse 17: “Pray constantly” - and in verse 25 Paul says, “Brethren, pray for us.” - be in prayer for one another. Sometimes this is all we can do for others - and in reality its the best thing that we can do for others - bring each other and our circumstances before the throne of the Almighty God.

Third - verse 18: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” - this is not easy. And, probably the last thing we want to hear from someone - while we’re in the middle of a time of depression and discouragement is - “God wants you to give thanks.”

How can we give thanks? In a nutshell, because in His word - God has made a tremendous number of promises to us. And these promises don’t stop just because we are in the middle of a discouraging situation.

Paul says in verse 19: “Do not quench the Spirit, - don’t doubt His work in you. Verse 20: do not despise prophesying, - listen to the word of God. Verse 21: but test everything; hold fast to what is good, - study the Bible - know the word of God and how it relates to you. Do you know the promises of God? Verse 22: abstain from every form of evil.” Hang onto the promises of God. Don’t give up your faith and Christian walk because of changing circumstances.

Verse 23: “May the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly - may God Himself keep you pure and devoted to Him - and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 25: He who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”

This is the focal point - God who called you as His child will fulfill His promises to you. He will keep you - He will preserve you even at the end of time when Jesus returns. And there are times when we need to be gently reminded of this and give thanks.

1. Encourage those who are striving to serve God.
2. Seek to do what is good for each other.
3. Help each other to focus on God - His presence - His working in our lives - His promises

Gone was the piped-in music in the corridors - now he had to endure blaring transistors. Any girl who walked by the construction site was subject to rude remarks and whistles from the other workers - and he had to listen to all this. Profanity shot through the air, especially from the foreman - whose primary tactics were whining and intimidation. “For.... sake, you...., can’t you do anything right? I never worked with such a bunch of.... in all my life.”

Bill had been the butt of more than one joke when his lack of experience caused him to do something foolish. The stories were retold constantly thereafter.

Near the end of the third week, Bill felt that he couldn’t take it any more. “I’ll work till lunch time this morning,” he told himself, “and then that’s it. I’m gong home. I just can’t handle any more of this.”

Shortly before noon, the foreman came around with the paychecks. As he handed Bill his envelope, the foreman made his first civil comment to Bill in three weeks. “Hey, there’s a woman working in the front office who knows you. Says she takes care of your kids sometimes.”

The foreman named the woman, who sometimes helped in the nursery of the church where Bill and his family worshiped. When Bill opened his envelope, he found, along with his check, a handwritten note from the woman. “When one part of the body of Christ suffers, we all suffer with it. Just wanted you to know that I’m praying for you these days.”

Bill stared at the note, astonished at God’s timing. He hadn’t even known the woman worked for this company. Here at his lowest hour, she had given him the encouragement to go on, to push another wheelbarrow of cement up that ramp.

Let me encourage you to do two things this week:

First - find someone who needs encouragement - look for someone who may not be noticed by everyone else. Pray for that person and their circumstances. And then, in a creative way - do one thing that will encourage them to keep going and to focus on God and His promises.

Second - when someone encourages you - tell them. Just let them know, “You really encouraged me. Thanks!”