Mothers day | 11/05/2025

Thank you, Pastor

Julie. Okay. Yes. Encouraging

encouraging me with a smile is good, not

angry. Anger. I was saying um yesterday

um I was I was talking to a friend and I

said, "Oh, Harry is so excited about

going to soccer today and he was

standing next to me looking so sullen. I

was like, but it's like on the inside,

not on the out, but I'd like to see the

outer outward appearance of of

happiness." Um so I might just start

with prayer actually. Um Lord, I thank

you for this opportunity. I pray, Lord,

that um that you would speak through me

today. Lord, I pray that um

that people are encouraged um from what

they hear um throughout this morning and

not only encouraged, but they're spurred

on to do good works in your name in

Jesus name. So, um when we last week

when we were um I think Julie gave uh

the question about who you know was

there a woman in your life that inspired

you and I when I reflected on it um I

think I my mother actually inspired me

in her faith journey. So growing up um

she set the example of a woman that was

loved the house of God. She'd be there

every day. She'd clean on Saturdays and

drag me along. And then I'd go out the

back and turn on the microphones and

read from the Bible as if I was reading

to the

congregation. And sometimes I'd turn on

the be the bells and the nuns would come

in like, "Um, someone turned on the bell

ringing through the town." Oh, sorry

about that. I was just flicking on

switches. But um but but mom would

through her her faith um she would go

every day to church. She would pray. She

would be the woman that um so she

cleaned the church. She would take

communion to the sick when they were um

unable to come. She would pick up the

elderly who were unable to drive and

take them to church. She'd have people

that didn't have families or um people

to have Christmas with. They'd come over

and we'd have Christmas with them. Um so

she just really exemplified that.

Um, just, you know, through her example

to me really showed her heart of of

faith and devotion to the church and and

what she and and to one another to um to

her the people of the church who she

um encouraged by just being there for

them and and helping out when they they

needed it. So that really instilled in

me the importance of church of church

community and to be other focused and

like when I stand here today I'm not um

I definitely don't have it all together.

I'm probably not always the best like

I'm not every day going to church like

mom's example or not that is but you

know not going to all the programs that

we have available either although

probably I'm excluded from prime time at

the moment

but it just really inspired me because

sometimes you know it might be oh um

something's popped up like growing up

there was never an

excuse good enough for us to miss church

on a Sunday never. And um and even if

we're away, it wasn't a good enough

excuse for us to to miss church. So we

always were there. Um Hebrews 10 uh 24

and 25 says, "And let and this is in the

amplified version. It says, "Let us

consider thoughtfully how we may

encourage one another to love and do

good deeds, not forsaking our meeting

together as

believers for worship and instruction,

as is the habit of some, but encouraging

one another and all the more faithfully

as you see the day of Christ's return

approaching." In the message version, it

says, "Let's see how inventive we can be

in encouraging love and helping out, not

avoiding worshiping together as some do,

but spurring each other on, especially

as we see the big day

approaching." And I actually I'm not

even going to pull out the passion

version. Um, I know that's divisive, but

I'm just just I think it gives another

like perspective. discover creative ways

to encourage others and to motivate them

towards acts of compassion doing

beautiful works as expressions of love.

This is not the time to pull away and

neglect meeting together as some have

formed the habit of doing. In fact, we

should come together together even more

frequently eager to encourage and urge

each other onward as we anticipate that

day dawning. So the Bible uses the

phrase encourage one another or similar

expressions approximately 59 times in

the New Testament. So it's really

important. Um God really wants us to

encourage one another. That is how

important encouraging is. And in this

passage, it is encouraging love and good

deeds. So, like my mom set that example,

you know, where she'd clean the church

and I'd come along and sometimes

actually she'd make me clean all the

pews and there were a lot of pews and it

took me a while. Um I and and mop the

floor and everything. It was a big

church and um that encouraged me to help

out where I can. So, when I come to

church, I like I'm on the hospitality

ros, but my little thing I can do once a

month is clean cups and and you know,

clean up and and that's how I can help

out.

Um, and it's through that. Yeah. So that

that example, so even with Asha, like he

if he gets bored, I give him a cloth and

he has to clean the tables because I

figure, you know, we you can't be bored

if you're helping

out. It's really easy to fall. I I was

also thinking about encouraging. So it's

using the, you know, our words. We can

encourage with our words, right? So it's

really really easy to fall into

negativity, faultf finding, and

criticism. you know, particularly if

you're when you're not doing anything or

you're like, "Oh, no. It should be done

this way." But actually, do you know

what? I think the act of doing is is is

what's important. It's not necessarily

nitpicking and getting so focused on one

little area. It's actually it's it's

being encouraging and and you know using

our words to bring life to people to our

words can actually bring hope and

encourage and encouragement obviously

but often and they say like you know

sometimes the negative words that have

been spoken over your life and you may

you may even bring them to remembrance

now. Um they are words that we can hold

on and often too soon and quickly we can

forget the words that have been

encouraging or lifegiving to us.

Um so there is power in words. There is

power of life and death in the tongue

and that the Bible says that we see how

powerful words are. In the beginning of

creation, God spoke and creation was

formed. Like wow. Jesus in the New

Testament showed how he spoke and

miracles happened. And you know, I've

even seen that in my own life. Um, when

we encourage one another, we breathe

life into their life. When we pray for

one another, miracles can happen. And do

you know what? Uh, when I an example of

that for me was my dad a couple of years

ago, I think it was 22, had a heart

attack. They live in Northern Territory.

Um, so he had to get Royal Flying

Doctor. That's really good English, but

you know, you know what I'm trying to

put out there. Um, he had to get shipped

over here on the plane um, sedated. So,

he was in an induced coma and it was for

about 5 days and it was in the midst of

COVID. So, you could only go if it was

like you could only go and see someone

in the hospital if it was like really

you were like a a immediate family

member, but b like it was super

critical. Um, so I was able to go see

him and I was all cloed up and had to

had a he was in a co room and you know

on all the ventilators and everything

and I had a moment with him but I I

remember just the word of God like it's

living and it can come back and and

remind like what am I trying to say

springs up and and you can pray it and

it's so powerful like what what word is

it is my words aren't powerful but the

word of God is powerful and so I just

literally put my hand on dad and I

prayed I said I pray that I pray my

prayer was that he'd live and not die

and declare the works of the Lord. And

five days later, he's pulled out from

the coma. You know, they said basically

they can't do anything for him. They

can't stent. His heart is so

um it was like functioning at

23%. Um and they literally said there's

nothing we can do. Um but since then

he's my mother once again who's a uh put

him on a really strict clean eating

diet. his heart went from 23% function

to 43% function. And he's he's still

alive and kicking to this day. Um and I

just see that that's a power of prayer,

you know, because they were like really

unsure. They were having us in there

like this is critical. We don't know the

outcome of this. But once

again, it, you know, it it's those

things where I see and it stirs up my

faith like how, you know, that that I

prayed and I saw how God worked in that

situation. Um, and that's what I think

like with the the power of encouraging

others and thoughtfully and I think the

amplified version said and thought and

thoughtfully doing it considering how we

are encouraging others is really

powerful too. It actually recharges us

and you can actually come to church and

you don't even know it but by

encouraging someone else you might be

recharging them from for the day. They

might have felt so, you know, flattened

by the week that was, but you come in,

you speak a word of life over them that

can actually charge them for the day.

And, you know, and I think it's um also

in Philippians 4:8, it says what we

Philippians 4:8

think about is really important. So

finally brothers and sisters, whatever

is true, whatever is noble, whatever is

right, whatever is pure, whatever is

lovely, whatever is admirable, if

anything is excellent or praiseworthy,

think about such things. Encouragement

can be pure and lovely and it is. It's,

you know, wouldn't really have

encouragement that isn't really

refreshment to one's soul, spurring us

on to do good works. The definition of

the word encourage is to inspire with

courage, spirit and hope. When we

encourage someone, we are imparting

courage to them. And sometimes that's

what that's what you

need. I've read some inspiring quotes

when I looked at

encouragement. If you are living and

breathing, you need encouragement. It is

a gift we all have the ability for and

we all have the resource to give. It is

not dependent on a special talent or

high IQ. Everyone has the ability to

encourage. And so when we come to

church, if we come to church with a not

an inward focus, but it's an outward

focus. What can I do? What can I bring?

What what can I how can I encourage one

another? It just makes all the

difference. So enter church ser enter

each church service with the mindset of

what you can give than what you can get.

Step out of your comfort zone and come

to the programs like sometimes it is

stepping out of your comfort zone. I I

think I talked last week about being

vulnerable and sometimes for some people

it's hard to go to these programs

because they don't know what to say or

how to talk like they find it hard to

you know talk to people. So step out of

your comfort zone and you you'll be

amazed. Come to the programs that the

church offers and see what you can give

rather than what you can get because in

the act of giving you get so much out of

it as well. And maybe there are people

sometimes that might irritate you at

church as well. Um, I I know that

probably is not here, but I I've I've

heard about it in other churches um or

programs or and you know what I suggest?

Pray for them. Pray for those people

because it actually changes your heart.

And then maybe you'll even step and then

you might get an encouragement or you

might be reading the word and you go,

"Hey, that's for Damian or that's for

Helen." You know, and you want to you

want to share what you've been given and

that can just that can be what they need

in that moment.

So you can build you can be a builder of

courage around you. And I think just to

wrap it up you my husband was meant to

be timing me so show me when I need to

wrap it up. Have am I am I on time?

Practically what you can do and this is

just very simple practical ways of how

you can be an encourage when encourager

when you come to

church. Show it on your face a smile. It

that actually is quite encouraging to

some people that might encourage someone

to come up and talk to you. Um say it.

You can actually yeah speak pray for

someone. Read the word. You might the

God might give you a scripture just for

them and you can encourage them with it.

Or it could be practable practical write

it. You could write a nice card or a

note and that could actually mean the

world to

someone. So, with all that said, I think

I'll wrap it

up. Thank you,

Rose. I tell you what, I learned heaps

out of that. So, our next young lady who

is coming up is very, very um dear to my

heart.

Emily. Let's give a hand to

Emily. Thanks,

Jules. So, Rose perfectly explained, I

guess, why we think encouragement or why

we know encouraging each other is

important. Like, we've seen fruit from

it and we've seen how much it can change

our lives and change the lives of people

around us. I guess I wanted to focus a

bit more on the Hebrews 3:12-13

Hebrews 3:12–13

um because it gave it gave me a very

different picture of what encouragement

was um and how to practically do this

and achieve this. Um so when I thought

of encourage one another, these these

things came to mind. These positive

words of encouragement, cheering people

on, supporting one another. And these

are very important, very crucial things

to doing life with one each with one

another. Um, but when I had a look at

this verse, I think we've got it up

there. Hebrews

Hebrews 3:12–13

3:12-13, it says, "See to it, brothers

and sisters, that none of you has a

sinful, unbelieving heart that turns

away from the living God. but encourage

one another daily as long as it is

called today so that none of you may be

hardened by sin's

deceitfulness. So the idea was initially

that I'd take this verse and share about

my experience with it. Um but as I

started to look into it and read some

different translations, there were a lot

of inconsistencies between the language

and I really didn't know where to go

with it, what to make of it. because the

term encourage sounds relatively simple.

Um but if we look at the next slide um

we can see in the NIV it uses the word

encourage but we look at NLT and it it

says warn. We must warn each other and

that gives me a completely different

picture. The EF ESV goes as far as to

say exhort one another.

So to encourage is to offer

support. To warn is to inform of

potential

danger. And to

exhorts it is to strongly suggest or

even persuade. These are incredibly

different pictures. So what do we make

of that? Are we meant to support others

but not challenge them? Are we meant to

go around in fear and desperation and

and warn everybody of the dangers of

falling away from God? Or are we meant

to exhort and seek to persuade and try

and convince others that maybe the way

they're living isn't the way you would?

How what am I being asked to do here?

This was what I was wrestling with. What

does it really mean to encourage one

another? So, as much as I didn't plan on

going into teacher mode, um there really

wasn't any other way for me to share on

this without kind of explaining the

process of how I came to just sit in

this scripture. So, if we look at the

Greek, I've got it on here. The word for

encourage in Greek is

paracleo. Par everyone say paracleo.

Look at this. Yeah, good job. It means

to call to one side, to summon, to

console, to strengthen, even to instruct

or teach. These things are not what came

into mind when I hear encourage one

another. But even this definition raised

a lot of questions for me. Even made me

feel pretty inadequate. How am I

supposed to do all of these things and

do all of these things well? Teach,

instruct, console, strengthen.

I feel like a lot's being asked of us

here. And I'm not going to lie, it was

feeling pretty overwhelming because we

know how important encouragement is. And

we know how many times in the Bible now,

59, it's it's we're asked to do it a

lot. But if we continue to break this

down, it actually is really

simple. So the first half of the word is

par. I think I've got that one. Yep.

Perfect. Um by, besides, or near. That's

what the first half of this word means.

And in Matthew, this word parro is used

when referring to placing something at

Jesus's

feet. So we read in Matthew 15:30, and

Matthew 15:30

great multitudes came unto him, having

with with them those who were lame,

blind, dumb, maimed, and many others,

and cast them down at parah Jesus's

feet, and he healed them. The word here

is at. It is a place at Jesus's feet.

And again in Mark and Jesus looked at

them and said with men it is impossible

but not with God for with God all things

are possible. This with is the same word

parah. This is not saying because of God

everything's possible. It's saying that

beside God near God in close

relationship with God that's where all

things are

possible. So we're told first in order

to encourage one another we need to be

somewhere. We need to be close and this

is close to God and close with each

other. This is this kind of

encouragement that it's talking about

here is not passive and it's not done

from a distance but it's it's this

closeness that's really essential. So

once we've got this we can move on to

the second half which is

calleo. This word is used oh sorry I'll

give you the definition to call to

invite or to give a name to. I was

really excited when I started figuring

all this out and I was absolutely

dorking out with a friend of mine

getting all excited that there was just

so much more to this word than I had

originally thought. But this word

calleo, it's it's used when they gave

Jesus his name. Behold, the virgin shall

conceive and bear a son, and they shall

call his name Emanuel. That's calleo.

It's

when they were told who Jesus would be,

who he was. And it's used again in one

John when we are given our name. See

what kind of love the father has given

to us that we shall be

calledo children of God. And so we are

our name. That's who we are. We are

children of God. So we put these two

parts back together parah and calo and

you have a really simple task. Firstly

par be close and draw near to one

another and to God. And secondly,

calleo. Call each other by our real

name. Remind each other who we are in

Christ and who Christ is for us. So I

say this having experienced people in my

life who have shown me this kind of

encouragement. As a few of you might

know, my journey with uni and study has

been a bit of a difficult one. Um I

began using uh uni quite a few years

ago. But a lot of fear, doubt, anxiety

and a lot of lies from the enemy meant

that I dropped out and just could not

face going back

again. You see, the trap that I was in

was this idea that society can often

push that we need to be really aware and

accepting of our

limitations. And to an extent, I do

really agree with this. We need to know

how to listen to our bodies and give

ourselves rest and be kind to ourselves.

But I went as far as to seeing these

limitations as my identity, who I

was. And the enemy would have me believe

this, that I had no hope, that I had no

hope of healing, no hope of getting

better. This was just who I

was. And I I accepted this for a really

long time. I became really comfortable

with the idea that uni was just

something I'd never be able to do to the

point that I even stopped asking Jesus

for help in that space. See, I was

completely deceived by sin like it talks

about in Hebrews. But I was very

effectively disguising it as

self-awareness and

self-acceptance. In Hebrews, it explains

that this this whole book, this letter

is being written to believers that are

being persecuted and imprisoned. They

are suffering

greatly. And the whole book is

essentially what we're talking about.

It's an encouragement. It's an

exhortation. It's a warning not to give

up hope in the living God, Jesus. See,

they were beginning to be deceived by

sin and believing the lies that Jesus

wasn't enough, that his sacrifice wasn't

enough. Like they were looking at their

lives and looking at the suffering and

saying, "Jesus said he was here to

redeem us. Jesus said he was here to

save us. He obviously isn't who he said

he is. They were turning away and

turning back to someone that they did

trust, someone that they were

comfortable following, and that was

Moses and the law. They turned away from

the hope of Jesus and got stuck in what

they knew and what was comfortable and

what was familiar, the law. And like

this law was made effectively redundant

when Jesus died on that cross. He was

the new law. He a new covenant was

made. In a similar way, I was losing

faith in the living God and trusting

myself before him because I knew what

made me feel comfortable. I knew what

made me feel safe and that was being far

far away from uni. Um like the

Israelites felt safe and comfortable in

the old law. But this is the challenge

that the book of Hebrews and this

passage presents.

See to it, brothers and sisters, that

none of you has a sinful, unbelieving

heart that turns away from the living

God. We're told not to lose hope. We're

told to remember the freedom that has

been brought by Jesus's sacrifice on the

cross. But it it's not that easy because

how do we do this in the face of

suffering? And how do we do this in the

brokenness of this world with all of the

doubt and the fear?

or it's right there in the second half

of this verse. Encourage one another as

long as it is called today so that none

of you may be hardened by sins

deceitfulness. See, I'm incredibly

grateful to a number of close friends

and family that did just this. See, they

could have passively encouraged and

supported but let me stay believing that

uni was just impossible.

Or they could have warned, filled me

with shame and fear, telling me that no,

God would expect more of you. Come on,

keep up, keep going. Or they could have

exhausted, pushed, strongly suggested,

or even persuaded. But they didn't do

those things. Instead, they came

close. They partnered with me in the

pain of it all. They sat with me in the

pit and comforted

me. And then they told me who I was.

They reminded me of my true identity as

a child of God. And that challenged the

lies of the enemy that I was starting to

believe. That the truth was that I am a

child of God. That I'm free and that I'm

loved and that God is with me and he

will never forsake me. And this is true

for all of us.

So, we might feel out of our depth

sometimes when we're faced with family

and friends that are doing it tough,

that are struggling or maybe even

turning away from God. We might feel

like we don't know what to say. We don't

know what our place is. We don't have

the answers to their questions or we

can't necessarily fix their

situation. And so, we have no idea how

to encourage

them. But one thing that I it's a it's a

hard pill to swallow, but it's good to

talk about. But not knowing the answers

to these things, not knowing what our

place is or how to answer their

question, this doesn't excuse any of us

from the call to encourage one

another. God has actually given us a

really simple template here, and we can

be excited about that. He's freed us

from the weight of having to have all

the answers.

This type of encouragement doesn't rely

on us. It doesn't rely on our wisdom or

our knowledge or our

abilities. All we are to do is to draw

near and remind each other who we are.

Because this changes everything. Knowing

we're children of God, loved by the

creator of the universe, that changes

everything. It conquers any lie of the

enemy and it softens the heart of anyone

turning away from God.

So, we don't need to be discouraged by

the weight of sin or start doubting our

role in all of this because God's going

to do the heavy lifting. He's he's going

to do the work in people's heart. We

don't have to carry that. But we are

here living in community with one

another, being asked, being called to

help each other along the way. So, I was

I was stuck where I was. I was stuck in

fear and I was stuck in doubt. not able

to see how much of a hold sin actually

had on me. See, I didn't need people to

fix the situation. I didn't need people

to make it any like easier. Uni's still

terrifying and it's still really hard,

but I'm in it because people came close

to me and said, "No, Emily, you're not

these things that you're starting to

believe about yourself. You are a child

of God. God does have the power to

redeem you. He does have the power to

hold

you. And they let that truth speak for

itself. There's one more part of this

verse that I want to draw attention

to. See, after we're told to encourage

and after we're told how to do

it, there are some parameters placed

around it because God has to make it

really clear for us how to do things. It

says, "But encourage one another daily

as long as it is called today."

This suggests two things. Firstly, that

this practice of encouraging one another

should be a daily

habit. It doesn't say encourage one

another when you feel like it. Encourage

one another when things get really

bad. It says

daily. We should be seeking to make this

a part of our

everyday. And secondly, the word today

is used. says, "Encourage one another

daily as long as is as it is called

today." This brings about a sense of

urgency because today only lasts so

long. We don't often talk about it, but

we will not be here forever. Jesus is

coming again, and he will restore

creation back to its perfect form.

But we have the opportunity right now,

today, to use it. To use today, to

partner with each other, walk alongside

each other, draw near to each

other, and to encourage one another,

exhort one another, warn one another,

however you want to think about it, to

not lose faith in the living God that

has promised life and freedom, who has

saved us from sin and death, and made us

whole again, and who is coming back.

So let's not neglect this

responsibility. Let's make it a daily

habit. Let's take it on board and just

make it as common to our day as

breathing and eating and

walking. Let's draw near to each other

and call out our real

name that we are children of the living

God. each and every one of us, everyone

out there, everyone in here, we are all

children of God and we all need to hear

this often. We all need to be reminded

of

it. And the awesome thing is that

because of this, because of how simple

God makes it for us, we all have the

ability to do it. It's not beyond us.

It's not too hard. It's you don't have

to have any special gifts in teaching or

you don't have to know how to say all

the right things that you know, oh yes,

that word it was exactly what I needed

to hear in order to get me out of that

situation. We don't have to have that.

It's not on us to know exactly what to

say, but it is on us to be

obedient because Jesus has done

everything for us and we know the

freedom that his sacrifice has given us.

So, we should want to share

it. So let's take this challenge

and remembering all the times like Rose

shared that encouragement has meant the

world to

us and just try and make that a part of

yeah part of our day. Let's let's pray

to

close. Heavenly Father, we thank you for

sending your son.

Thank you that his death on the

cross was a new covenant being made,

Lord. That the old was made

new, and that that can bring so much

hope and freedom in this life, Lord

Jesus. God, we ask that you would give

us the strength and the

courage to see and take hold of

opportunities to encourage one another.

God, help us to draw near to you so that

we might draw near to each

other. Heavenly Father, you give us

everything that we need to accomplish

this. Yeah. We thank you for who you are

in your name. Amen.