#Christian Straight Talk - Courage - Encouragement (#14 Courage)

Reverend Ben Cooper and Simon Pinchbeck take to the mics to discuss the next topic in the series of Courage which is encouragement - When was the last time anyone encouraged you? And when was the last time you encouraged? 

Transcript

Reverend Ben Cooper: 0:16

Good morning world. Simon, Pinchbeck and myself we are at the mics this morning. And God is blessing every one of you, wherever you are, thank you so much for downloading these podcasts. We thank you to all those listeners that are downloading these. And for some reason there is a lot in America. And we are not picking this out just as the Americans, but we are just saying thank you to everybody on the other side of the pond and around the world. I'm not quite sure Simon why maybe it's no wonder why statistics are showing us that there are a lot in America. Interesting. I think, you know, we spend a lot of time over there in the states and we're working with the guys. places like Texas and Oklahoma place. I think the Bronx, honestly, New York. Yeah. We've had a few downloads. It's really interesting when I think COURAGING I think people are more open. Yeah, word over there. very possibly. Yeah. And they just I think what we do, Ben is just a lot we're going to speak about this morning is the courage to encourage I think pride got the word isn't what we what we do what we say is encouraging. And yeah, we're coming to the end of this series of courage. So we've got one more to go next week and this one this week. But don't forget, it's hashtag Christian straight talk. We're in. Coming straight at you from the power of truth. Yeah. And the bullets are loaded. Today. The gun is loaded. We're gonna be firing them out. We are ready to rumble. This is ready to rumble and the music is fading. Its fading out. And we're there. Good morning. We're talking Good morning, everybody where ever you're and we this is great. Yeah, we want to say this morning that we want to encourage you to find a courage to encourage other people because it's vital in the bend. You know, we've got a vertical relationship with our Father God, yes. Yes, Christ. Yeah. But we've got a horizontal relationship with one another with one another. So important, isn't it? When you look, when you look at certain areas of life, we don't get much encouragement. Do we, even in the workplace, because you're always pressed in the workplace, life and society, but in the Bible, it is about encouragement. We know it's about correct and all that sort of stuff. But the biggest encourager on planet Earth has to be Jesus. Oh, totally. And that's under percent. Right then. And I would ask, you know, straight off the bat this morning, as we're as we're hitting this subject, I would ask anyone who's listening to this out there. When was the last time anyone encouraged you? And when was the last time you encouraged? Anyone else? I hear silence. Yeah. So let's start with the first one. When was the time that someone encouraged us straight off, straight out the barrel without without ramping it up? Just just come up to you and said, Are you okay? We're I'm encouraging to keep going. Never give up because we're in a world that is just literally putting people down all day long and we certainly and arrangement in the UK, ah, gosh, be sought to find encouragement in the UK. And yeah, so where are the leaders? Leaders need to be encouraging leaders need to be supporting, even if someone puts their arm around you don't literally and don't actually say to you, I'm encouraging you but just by putting an arm around someone and embrace in someone that is that is encouragement to itself, isn't it? Because we are kept at arm's distance so the word locked down as discouraged us as isolated us so when someone puts an arm around you can almost feel foreign carnate it can and there's many people out there discouraging that yeah, happen but you can't cuddle. You can't talk to me at distance hang on Boris event parties. And I'm Mr. Hancock. You know, I've been I added this week and it's crazy because the the kickoff of 2004 I do a little bit more on social media and I'll put out a few. I see so much rubbish going on there about so yeah. I don't know if there's a way to use social media but what I've done is is for a bit of Scripture, and a few examples, just another guy call me out of the blue on Tuesday this week. Mickey Cresswell mentioned his name is Matt as a boxer frogs are excellent up in Birmingham and that's what we want. A proper bloke, and he talks to that funny Birmingham accent. But he was an ex copper, but he said a mate. He said, I just want to encourage you keep doing what you're doing. Keep not sending them things I said, because they're making a difference. It makes a difference. And when you hear that, it encourages you to encourage Yeah. So it has, or does not use a domino effect. But it used it has this effect where you encourage someone, it gives you the strength. So when God when we use God's word, because God encourages us through His word, so like that guy gate, took effort to pick up a phone and speak to you verbally, how foreign is that nowadays been in a massive, encourage you just to have a conversation with someone because the Bible instructs as it says, In take this, listen to this one Thessalonians 511 says, Therefore encourage each other and build up each other build up just as you are doing. That's what he says in the Bible. So encourage each other build up each other right are going to stop. Right? Listen, religion, Uptown, listen to Simon, I'm just talking to myself, actually, religion does the opposite, isn't it? Religion restricts you religion cannot. It doesn't encourage you, does it? No, no, it does a religion puts a lid and it limits you to what you can do. But with a true brother or sister around you, that will just put their arm around you and say it's going to be okay. We're walking together. We're praying together. God is with you. Or someone picks up a phone or send you a text and says, I've got a we got to be careful. I say this because we have many people saying I've got a word for you. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, but you can do it. You can do it this way. But you can say, you've been on my heart. And I just want to say is there anything you need prayer right now? That's encouragement. That's encouragement. And I think of for men that carried their friend, to get them to get him sorry, into the presence of Jesus. The ones that carried their friend on that bed, they took up for call a corner, ah, they looked at the windows, they couldn't gain through the windows, they couldn't get him through the door. But isn't that encouraging to have four friends around you? Four Pillars for people around you that will tear the roof off. So they took him up to the top of the house. The lid was on the roof. So it says they taught a roof off and they lowered him into the presence of Jesus. There's a lot there's a lot going on. It's just a great example. For framework for says, yeah, what you said about religion, religion, wants to tell you not to do things. You can't do that. It wasn't. Oh, yeah, doesn't it? Yeah. By making you not conform, and conform, conform. But you know, I often used to say in the police force now in the police when I was in the, in the police force. I knew absolutely hundreds of people. I knew me. Yeah. But we always used to say you've got no more than a handful of true friends. And and it's very true. It's very true. And what we've been talking about is our circles are getting smaller. Yeah, we have to recognize those who are less whimsical. Who are going to encourage us Yeah, and we have to listen, listen to what people say to you. If they're building you up, if they're encouraging you. Great to be part of it. But if they all they want to do when they talk to you is talk about themselves or correct. You are correct, because there's a way of encouraging and correcting you at the same time Bible tells us we should rebuke people Yeah, but there are a lot of people isn't there around us around you, whoever you may be, that almost want to keep tearing you down. Because there's an awful lot of jealousy. Yes, you bang on jealousy. Who can we go to in the Bible, Saul and David? Yeah, David was all right all the time. So it was changing his nappies. But soon as he got anointed, and he started to blossom and God, David didn't really know what's going on. And he was coming back from the battlefield and the women were jumping up look what David's done. Yet when Genesee comes into someone's thinking and vocabulary, and it takes over their heart, you said dangerous place to be, isn't it very dangerous? And so listen to what comes actually, the Bible tells us clear out of the heart of the the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks on. What's on your heart when you listen to people when they're talking about you or to you listen to what they're saying because it'll you'll have discernment whether that person should be in your life or not. I think you've made mentioned a really important word discernment. God give me wisdom and give me discernment. Who should I hang around with? Who should I journey with? There's a lot of word in talking about partner isn't now think partner in is a very dangerous word networking. Because if you partner a network that is a business model, and just because your partner in a network in people it's the has, it has a dangerous as a dangerous press to that because most of the time when you're networking and partnering, you're looking to gain what you can gain out of the audience. We all know Christian networkers who look at as as people, what can we get out? And what can they what can I use that person for to get my game? Yeah. Oh, they come in like an encourager. They came in I've seen it. Oh, loose lipped on thinking of one guy in particularly contacted a mate of mine. Yeah. And is so lame was through my mate to get to his church leader. So he could then yeah. And then he dropped that other person. Yeah. Then the other person's pushed to one side. And I've achieved what I want to achieve, because I can then forward my ministry for your church leader. Yeah. So. So people around us, as that great man in the desert said to Melchizedek Are you for me, are against us, and you've got to have discernment. Otherwise, you're going to waste a lot of time, and people are going to, you don't want to be around their size, not going to be around people are gonna pull you down. Because words, James speaks to me very clearly how powerful words are. Either you build up, or you tear down, you tear down the tongue, the smallest muscle in the body is the most powerful, it's words are so powerful. Do you know what then, you know, again, I look at my previous life, and especially in the police and other things I did. I had a very sarcastic tongue, I would look and I was very good at it. So I would look to pinpoint a weakness in somebody, yeah, sure. And expose that weakness for fun, or for a laugh, or whatever. And sadly, when you start to do that, there's no on and off switch. So I will tell you, that comes to my family, it becomes the normal, it becomes a character. So everywhere I was looking, I'll be looking to put down, tear down, yeah. Build up. And that's the massive difference. You know, when I first became a Christian, these Christians were, I was used to losing my best material on these people, you know, they were easy meet vengeance opened up a gap for me and Eric, I mean, I mean, but over the years, it's a good strip that back straight that back, and that's painful, very, very painful, because not only was it painful to stop it, it was painful to see maybe the hurt caused other people, the character flaws, and especially among children. Oh, yeah. How encouraging to look. So you can encourage yourself, by looking at yourself. And the only way we can look at ourself is by when God starts to work on us, and to admit that I have many character flaws. My character is bloated, but with the journey of faith, I can encourage myself not in a motivational how great I am. But you know what God is? God's got me in the Garden of Gethsemane got it got me on the pot as well. I'm in the wilderness. But for the stripping back, there's an encouragement coming, because God has encouraged him through the stripping through the strip and see. And, you know, don't do not please get into the Word get into the Bible, look at characters in the Bible, and see where they're at. So look at Paul, right. And you know, the apostle Paul, a man, an amazing guy wrote the for most of the New Testament, but but he wouldn't have gotten anywhere. I don't believe maybe if it wasn't for Barnabas, yes. Because you imagine, can you imagine were aware? were Christians. And all of a sudden, this guy, Saul, who'd been persecuting the Christians? Yeah, suddenly says, I'm a Christian. I want to follow Christ. And so they lock the doors to him, because that's right, because Hold on a minute. Is this key? What's he up to? Is he trying to play the long game here? Is he trying to get in and what's going on? You know, is he trying to get right in? But it wasn't until Barnabas came and spoke and said, This is for real. This is the real deal. This is it. Yeah. That that Paul Adams was then allowed allowed, yeah, entered into the inner circles if you like, and so it's good. But God's God puts these characters in our path God puts everyone around us. But then it's for us to be wise and discerning to work out through Godly wisdom, and through faith and through Scripture. Are they in my life for their own gain? Or are they in my life? Because God puts everyone on this earth? Yeah, well, yeah, he does. And God put people around you, that's for sure. But the enemy will put people around you as well. You know, we always good at that one. I've had it several times where I've been speaking in a church or wherever. And at the end of it, you know, when people wanted to speak to me, but all of a sudden someone will come in. Yeah, I want to take my time and attention. Yeah. I've been very fortunate because the church leaders have been watching and I know their character, characters, and they've gone. Oh, you go up. So I'm gonna play speak to this fan. Yeah. Because they know this geezer does all the time scaring him out. Yes, a sakura time yet you got to watch it be under have discernment and and so Paul, and Barnabas is an encourager, and Paul went on to write some an experience and do the whole deal. Really think about that Paul, who wrote these beautiful letters, that was everything going on, he had someone that was encouraging him, and by the encouragement enabled him to get free to be able to write for the power of the Holy Spirit, these great letters that we have, let me and so he went on to encourage people like Timothy Yeah, and so it has a knock on John Mark and all those people it has all this effect. And we don't know I would suggest that every great character that we know that Billy Graham's that all these all these great people that we know that have changed the world have brought that have been the catalyst to bring many people to Christ. They've had people behind them Yeah, because encouraging encouraging them we know that Spurgeon went through our Charles Spurgeon went through deep depressions, we know where you can get into the valleys where the enemy will take you. And we need people around us, then we're going to lift us up and pull us out. It's you know, the four around you, before Rachel Ooh, have you got Have you got that will carry you to the rooftop, tear the roof open and still have the strength, the physical to lower you down to the presence of Jesus. It's an interesting stories, and I got Jesus in his house. He got people crowding him. And he knew this activity was going on, because he knows everything, that he did not stop what he was doing. He carried on doing what he was doing. He did not go up to the rooftop and look up and suddenly the roof was torn apart. There is an important part of humanity that has to do what they feel that is right. And there are certain things where you have to complete the task. God is not going to stop what he's doing to help you fulfill that. So what I'm saying is, is the four characters was was on the rooftop. They said we got to get we've got to get our friend into the presence of God, we got to get our friend before Jesus, you know, Christ was ministering. It was all going on. He was very aware of what was going up on the roof. That's a great point. You mean God is not going to stop what he's doing is not going to stop what is doing. And how many people have you? Do you know that I've maybe been given a word of prophetic word. Yeah. And I've just sat there and said, I'm waiting for God to make his move. Well, my friend can tell you, you're coming to stay there a long time. Yeah. Because God's saying, Get up, get over it. Move on faith and all the behind you, encourage you and move you forward. But will you sit in on your backside? Nothing's gonna happen. I've heard so many times people have said, I've had a word from the Lord and I'm waiting. You're going to see in your front room, or on your back. Five an actions work together. Five actions. So the four had faith in Christ. But they had an action to do they had to execute the action. Imagine, Ben if you were preaching, yeah. And suddenly, when there's not much roof on your building? A guy is been lowered down. Yeah. That's right. So Christ was in the same house. He was in full charge. He was commanding, he would preach and teach and he was in that place. People was around him. But he did not stop doing what he was doing. Didn't stop doing what he was doing. And you know, because we have a responsibility. Then in the Bible is great encouragement all around Jonathan and Nathan to David they were great encourages boy and Aaron to Moses, Joshua and Caleb, to disciples to Jesus now, he had 12 disciples, but whenever he went to do certain things he just took James and John it reduced him. Yeah, he reduced, he's reduced. So these are the guys that are more reliable maybe what was there more on it than that was maybe maybe a bit more sharper Yeah. They so these the guys that he relied on when you look at Jesus total ministry throughout the four Gospels, it it was all encouragement all the way through one of the great things and we've spoken before about it before but when he was on the way when he was on the road, and they had a great crowd around him and blind Bartimaeus share it out. Yeah. Do you remember that? Yeah. And the crowd when I don't worry about Don't worry about him. He's just a blind beggar on the dirty smelly. Jesus went, Whoa, hang on a minute. Wait. I went over. And he said to buy my son, my very engine, what do you want? What do you want? And the BART May says, so my God, I want site, he said Your favors. So he said his look that he could have quite easily he walked past that fellow, and ignored him. But now he's in Capricorn over and encouraged him, gosh, and then the lady who was caught out of adultery, you know, encourage it didn't slammer, that slumber down today. Now, he said, I can give you living water I can give you even though, your character and you've got all this going on, I still want to give you a living water. And he still wants to rescue us. So, you know, we, Matthew 1128 says Come to me, all of you, all of you are heavily burdened and troubled, and I will give you rest. What encouragement is there. You know, you've the, the Son of God is saying, Come to me, the Son of God. So he's got his arms open wide, and the fathers are urging you to come to him by his words and what you're going to say to him, you're gonna say, not right at this moment in time. I've got the America or whatever, and you know, yeah, it Christ is the ultimate encourager see ultimately go So, Ben strengthener. Correct. You know, it's difficult trying to, when you look at the character, if you wish to study Christ, Christ, ology you look at Christ. And you look at that character. It's difficult actually, to put it into words, because he's everything because we know that Christ is the as it says, In Colossians. Christ is the image of the invisible God. So Christ is the image of this invisible God, but Christ has always got his arms open. So that that reflects to the Father. The Father always has his arms open, open, the prodigal son. He's, he's an incarnate, he's always wanting for us to come back. Come back. Yeah. And come back to me. So to sum it up, is saying, I've got you, and I've got you. And when you say to someone, I've got you. What an encouragement that is, you know, you know, someone's got, it's okay. It's okay. Give your cares to me. Give me your burdens. Cast your cares upon me. So cast all your burdens, if Jesus is that to us? Shouldn't we be looking to encourage people every opportunity? Yeah, really, we can make a difference in everyone we meet if we have the right mindset and hot button view at heart. That's also when that now you're right that so many is the mind. Because when the heart is right, the mind focuses right. So it's connected, disconnected is all connected. See that? Yeah. And so it's really important, the mind because the Scripture says, have your mind renewed the mind of Christ? So there, it's all relevant. It's all it's all. It's all very relevant. But we have the power of free will. Am I going to encourage you or not? Am I will I possibly, what will I gain? Is this so much in encouraging, but there's nothing like giving, giving someone a kind word, giving someone your time giving someone a text giving someone a phone call? Just giving, giving of yourself because that's what humanity wants. Humanity doesn't want to be isolated and in lockdown, and we are experiencing the biggest lockdown the world has ever seen. Physical. I think you've summed it up very well. There's things that we can do to encourage you know a word text if you can't say, you know, because there are times out there when someone will just come on your mind. Yeah. And you'll think I am fought by that person for such a long time and they write on a foreign. If you encourage someone, people can think, hang on a minute, what you after. Because we are not in a nation of encouragement, I can think that, yeah, you're born if you surround yourself with men and women of the faith of the kingdom, not religion and church, because religion and church will will just destroy you. But if you are surrounded by four that will carry you, you become like, like them. We know what the Scripture says, Who you hang around with you become like that. Well, that's and that's very big in the secular motivational me you know, you the five people that you're spending time with, that's so so it's even more so in a Christian world because then we can reach out to people. And if someone if you think the Lord's put someone on your heart, I'd encourage you to reach out to them and encourage you and say, Is there anything I can pray for you for all? You know, give them a scripture, you know? Give them a scripture, Psalm 32 It is amazing. It says this, it says, Look, I just want to if you rang someone up and or text someone, so just want to say this is for you, that I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go and guide you with my i Wow, from the Lord is, let me give you that, you know, this is from the law. This is from the Lord for you to now this is from the Word of God. I am lost last night. Mike from Texas crying on my heart. He just started a new job. And I just sent him that Exodus 14 1314 You know, yeah, standstill in the last five years. It thinks it's just coming back straight to me on WhatsApp. You know, thanks so much. Thanks for thinking on me. A little thing, he's not little, it's because it's the word of God. And the Word of God is bigger than anything. So there may be people out there listening go, do you know what I'm actually realizing there's people in my life that are not encouraging me. I've got a lot of people around me that are really probably pulling me down in certain ways, in their actions for their speech Frou Frou for everything that's going on. So if you are like that, let me take take you to a scripture one Samuel 30 Verse six, and David was greatly distressed, you might be greatly distressed for the people who spoke about stoning him, there might be people around you that that you feel that you're being stoned by their power of their words, not the physical stoning, but actually by their actions and the way they express themselves to you, um, the way that they speak to you. So stoning doesn't have to be a physical stone in like we see. Steven that was taken out. And Sol Sol was at that place. It says that the a young man called Saul, they laid his their coat at that. So you might have people around you that you feel that you're coming under fire for the power of words, but this is what this is between David and God, one Samuel 30, verse six. And David was greatly distressed for the people around him spoke about stoning him. Because the soul of the people was grieved every man for his sons and his daughters, but David encouraged himself in the Lord is God and the Lord is God here. So there comes a point, when you recognize the people around you are not for you. But that's not going to take me out. Because I will encourage myself in the Lord. So there might be many mind now on the other side of the mic, in an environment where David says, And David was greatly distressed, why was he in distress because the people around them wanting to take him out? Words are very powerful so you might be in an environment that is like a machine gun experience. Encourage yourself I believe, I believe that we've all got people in our lives that probably you know the Lord they're there for for whatever purpose they're there and but you can only go so far with these people if they continually talking about themselves if they're continually wanting to not encourage you, you know, I've had lots of people in my life and I've said what do you think about this and they've and they've picked holes in it completely not coming from a positive standpoint. You know, exactly what the rugby sandwiches in the you know, start off well, in the middle bits rubbish, and then you end the well. But so we've all got people, I think in your life, where you can look, if that if there's somebody who continually comes to you. And they want your advice, or they want to suck something out of you. And then they say, Oh, thanks for that. And then two weeks later, they come back with the same problem. Yeah, I think you got to question yourself, whether that person should be in your life or whether or not when that person rings and you see their name on the phone? You sort of give them a wide berth? Yeah, well, yeah, solid, right. And even you could go a little you could tread into a bit of a dangerous area for even family. Family, though definitely. family situations at home. Whoa, got people that hear but never listen. Yes, yes. Yes. It's massive, isn't it? Yeah. Jealousy comes in, oh, stuff will creep in, don't understand even maybe a calling on someone's life, close family friends around you. And that's, and that's another thing, if you've got sort of friends that appear to be moving forward, maybe in life, oil and Christian, let's encourage them. That's, let's say, you don't know. Fantastic, what amazing thing you're doing you, you really move with this blessing. That's profound, because it's only gonna hold you back if you don't. And let's move on to see we can make an impact in every person's life that we make, even if there's only for a few seconds. Or yesterday, I had it. I was going to take somebody to the post office, and I pulled them in the car jumped out with a parcel. And the guy walked back up on it got away at a world on his shoulders, and he said, shut my won't be open us. Oh, crikey. That's a bit of a waste of time. And he sort of looked at me, I said, Mike, we're gonna get through the same way. And he smiled, he says, yeah, we'll get through. Quick, fine, we'll never see him again. never see him again. Never say my keys, my name is small, and he just got in his car. And you know, I think what's really interesting, out of all, what this is coming out of every person in our lives, there is a relationship being built. You can't get away from the fact our relational people that's you can't Yeah, so. So in every layer of life, you need to really encourage each other wherever you are, because there are relationships being built trust is being built. You know, openness is is doors of hearts of being open talking conversation. So we are responsible to encourage other people, we're responsible. And I think you're right, Ben. And I honestly think we should wake up in the morning and think with that, with them with that soul or heart mindset thinking, who can I encourage today, every Lord, who you're going to bring before me today that I can encourage and I'll give you a couple of examples. I go to see my mom moves by itself every couple of weeks and do the old click and collect Yes, ghosts. And little guy came out by now he knows he sees my name, he gets the stuff ready. And we just had a conversation and he was telling me about some stuff that come through his life. He said, Look, you know, I'm a Christian early on, I'll pray for you, you know, and he smiled and I said, Oh, thank you very much. And that just to sort of that it lifted him up and you know, I go to a coffee shop and over a couple of weeks, it seems like let me tell you this, if you encourage people they will never forget you won't know and also if you are nasty, they will never forget and we're going to come up with that as the truth they won't they won't forget you for two reasons. I'll go to this coffee shop and this once every two weeks so to get me mum a drink and we have a coffee and this little girl she knows the order out you can't give me Adrian owl you remember that other people you're gonna you're gonna because attitude and character shines it shines done it you know, and this week I walked in there and there was no one in this and then all of a sudden they can burst out doing a song and dance so we come in it Yeah. Bless you. So you're the a team you know and encourage them because you know, that's sometimes not a great place to be beyond a counter in a coffee shop. But you so you encourage people and it's a god bless you. You can know where you stand, you know where you're coming from. So everywhere we go, as James so rightly says you're going to river build people or tear people People are gonna remember you for what to for one thing as an encourager or someone that pull someone down words are powerful. They're huge, you know. So, you know, I used to be remembered at once on for 13 and Nicaea people, hopefully I'll remember now for sort of given a bit of encouragement, and I think we should look for opportunities. So when we're in the supermarket, it's very easy to nip into the Self Service bits in it. At that, yeah. But if we choose to go to the checkout lady and encourage her, yeah. What a great thing, you know, conversation conversations are critical for humanity. And massive Ben, as someone else they are. Yeah, so what did lockdown do? It took it away, it took it took the human contact away, the the UN now the doors are wide open, and we know what what wide doors are wide open, because He wants our vote again. You know, it's like, the doors are wide, open, narrow, it feels foreign, to be looking and talking to people, we're on the backfoot or Gobi two meters, I've got to keep the enemy is very clever. It's done. in isolation. If you get isolated, you lose a lot, you lose human contact, being around the same people all the time can affect you, is not completely healthy. You know, you have to you have to get out. You have to be very careful. And the maths work, right, the masks, the regulations, the cans, the the and all that it puts a strain on humanity. Let me put the two man's need humans, we need each other. We need to be relational. So let me put it, I don't know what you do for a job out there. But if you're in customer service, or you're in AKA, customer based job, how many times when people come to the checkout, they will either want a coffee or how many times are they on the phone? And they totally ignoring you. Yeah, and that constant? Don't be on the phone when you're no, no. Give that person your attention conversation. It's an opportunity to sow a seed, how am I real opportunity to show it so a seed? Yeah, calm, it's easy to start a conversation. But because we've been isolated, we've lost the the way of communicating phones, I've done that as well over the years emails, we've lost that, that, that human contact, we've lost that human look, you know, if someone's got an extra role for you, in a customer service, pick up the phone and say thank you so much, oh, if you can't do that, drop an email to their boss and say this isn't, you know, encourage people. I remember I was sitting there, I think I was changing my phone number. And there was a young guy in the in the phone shop. And a lady came in and she had she had a problem with her email. Now, he could have just niched her off, he could just push her to one side as our kind of view. But he sat there for 20 minutes, 30 minutes just going through for dinner and a new email. He didn't get no Commissioner that wasn't for anything. And at the end of it, I just stopped while I was sitting might be encouraged. That was, that was really, really great to see. We don't get that sort of a knock on effect, doesn't it when someone sees someone encouraging and helping someone else? It does something very spiritual to the human being it once it makes you want to be an encourager, because encouragement puts a smile on someone's face, it changes their ways. It puts a spring in their step. It gives someone hope. Is Yes. Totally. And just the other day, for example, I needed to pick up something from like the hardware shop. Wixted. Yeah. I went there, click and collect to pick up me stuff. And the like the young girl said, she said, What's your name? What's your thing you saw on the phone these days anyway, isn't it? You know, I said, I looked at I said, Are you at night she said, I'm having a great day. She said, I'm every great every day is great. And she kind of meant it. So. So I said, You know what, you really cheered me up today, you know, so So you're that just a small conversation. God bless you. You love that small conversation. Yeah. But it's lit a face. Yeah, it is. It carries the stirs the heart, it stirs the spirit. Talking is a very powerful thing to do. Because you're bouncing off each other. And you're encouraging each other and you're blessing each other. And when scripture is, is in the center of everything is it's so cool. It's God centered, and it's hard. Open the darkness. We talked about it outside. But there is so many scripture scriptures encourages scriptures, you know, easy one to remember is Proverbs 2717 iron sharpens iron, it builds build each hour up Ecclesiastes four nine, you know when to have two or better one on a three phone call where two or three agree agreement is powerful, it's powerful Ephesians Hebrews is this amazing, powerful scriptures that will uplift you give you hope. It will, it will make you want to speak out as well. And you brought up a really important point very early in this podcast is that we will remember the people that encouraged us. So if you look back and think back to your school days, you all you can remember maybe a teacher that went the extra mile to encourage you. But you will also remember the ones that discouraged you and I've got one line in my head that stuck with me from school, COPPA, your computer, nothing. Get out my class. Really, really that is the one line that I remember. And I got expelled on the strength of that. That that teacher I know him his face, he hasn't left me. So that impacted my life. All the way through COPPA, you're come to nothing get asked you. So words are powerful words are powerful. They they're like seeds, they go down. Yeah. And they either build up, or they tear down, tear down in that case, you know, what's happened is, you know, this is an important guy is at school teacher, you know, whether it, you know, authority, and so you can take that back to the church can't Yeah, very much. So how many? How many leaders are there that are completely honest, when someone comes in and says, Pastor, I've got a word from God, I believe God is calling me to this to the pastors and the leaders encourage you and say, You know what? I will strengthen you. I will work with you in this. I don't quite understand it. How often do we hear is no, hang on? I'm sorry. No, we ain't got time for that in his church. People have been put down from pulpits, by pastors and preachers and teachers and by religion and not encouraged to walk in their calling. That's true, not been encouraged to in their gifting they're not encouraged in their gift into to be. And why is that? Because the person behind the pulpit is a control controller, and you're a threat. And then that that's what this is my ship. And, you know, I hear this from leaders quite a lot. And you may agree with Ben on disagree of it. But I hear where people want to be baptized. They say, Well, I want to see how you're living your life. Yeah, be in my church for six months. Oh, hold on a minute, hang on a minute, you got to sign a membership. You got done your 10% this month, I noticed, you know, this fellow wants to come into the kingdom. He wants to be baptized into the kingdom? I think the answer to that is let's feel the pull up now. It's escaped. Let's just do it. Let's just say like that, like that story you said, you know, it's so so important. Because in the mindset of pastors and leaders, we think we're going to take it to the oversight and pray about all this and actually, with God has put something on someone's heart and called them to something or they want to be baptized. It's not for anyone to go. Yeah, okay. We think about we pray about it. Let's walk with you. I lovely. I love the leaders that when people come to them, and they go with this, I've got this idea. They go, Okay, you run with it, um, if you need me, but you run with it. And if it's truly on your heart to do it, then you'll go off and you'll you'll you'll run with it. Yeah. If you just wanted to be part of the pastors in a circle or ever, then then it won't happen well. So, you know, we should look at every single opportunity to encourage people, and especially children, we should encourage our children. Yeah, time after time. We should tell our children we believe in them. Yeah. We should tell our children that we love we love them in cultures, everything, everything they do, and I was watching somewhere on the telly. It's called Junior bakeoff is real. So we know that all little children from about nine to 12. They go on this and they do incredible things. And the two presenters are absolutely Brilliant, Harry Hill is, is a comedian thing, but he's so great at encouraging these young, even if they're, even if it's all over the place, they find something positive to say about it. And when they say, you haven't quite done enough for you, you haven't quite done enough that they're very gentle. Yeah, with the real correction. That's like Christ. Christ looks at me and goes, actually, Ben, it's not quite a good mince pie you got there, your life is a little bit wonky, it's overcooked, it's a bit wobbly. But you know what? We'll work together. And come on, I'll encourage you for this, I'll encourage you for you. Come on, come on. Christ will encourage you, even when it doesn't look good. And it's not what it's meant to be. He won't tear you down. And so when we come to that scripture to Timothy four, two, which we use in our books, don't forget the book. And don't forget the book, Christian strike. But Scripture should be used to for rebuke, and if you see someone going off the rails or whatever, it's not a heavy handed big, you know, hammer blow, is it? It's done in love? Because what he's done the scripture that supports that what Simon is saying is worry about the plank in your own I

Simon Pinchbeck: 46:25

do it. Yeah, yeah.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 46:29

So you can encourage someone through rebuke for the Scripture, because it is the Holy Spirit that does that. So it's just delivering the Scripture. And that's all we've got to be done is just deliver the word and, and do what our Nathan did to David. Yeah. He said to me, he wanted you to come in and hammer him. He just said, He gave an example of someone with a whole herd of sheep and wanted to take a sheep from Yeah. And Davey sort of lose that knife and said, Well, yeah. And David sat down. And who was David? What was David going to be at least a mile after God's own heart? Wasn't he? So yeah. So everyone, everyone, whoever you are, how great you're calling. There are character flaws. And there are areas of life that need to be cleaned up every area, but you can encourage someone in a way of correcting someone. Oh, and I would I would, when Ben's talking about the people around you, I would invite you to have someone around you who will tell you the truth. Yeah. Because that is encouragement. That is encouragement. Then when we find that person that tells us the truth, there will be others that will tell us their opinion. There's a difference between opinionated people grow as a true Christ soil because you know that Yeah, yeah. How many opinionated, dangerous? People don't want to know your opinion. I want to know the truth. What does the scripture tell me? What is God telling me? What was God telling me? So there? So there are many characters around our lives, sarcastic people, opinionated people, godly people, worldly people, in church, at a church, whatever way you look. So now discernment comes into the ring of conversation. Help me Lord, give me the strength to be like the one in that place that said, are your formula against me? Are you going to build me up? We're going to tear me down. Because sometimes I think we're frightened of exit in certain areas of life. We've got this person around us this situation and all they do is drain us drain us drains drain us. And it becomes this disposition of I gotta get out. I can't. I can't live like it. I can't cope. We don't even meet him anymore. You don't want to say him? Yeah. And so we need massive discernment than we do wisdom and wisdom. And, you know, and getting sick all the time. It's a great time of year where we're just coming out in January. Yeah, it's a great time where we're God's saying to each and every one of us Ooby got in your life who's close to you in your life? Are they are they take are they training? You are encouraging you? Are they encouraging you the right way? If it went completely wrong? If everything failed on your life now, he'll be the first one to come and pick you up and help. Yeah, exactly. So we was Yeah. Reading about in the book we don't talk about we're the first one to pick you up if it all went If it all went pear shaped completely, absolutely. Do you know that that person will be right there not condemning you, but putting our arms around you and pulling you up? And could you be there for other people if it went if it went the other way for them? If they were to call you at two o'clock in the morning and say, I've lost everything? I'm in trouble. I mean, seriously? And beyond for a start off, but if it was it left you a message? How would I react? How would you react? Goodness gracious me. Would You React? And how have you reacted? And how do you want to react in the future? I think, Ben I think we could go on it's we've waited 15 minutes already on this. Nice gracious. But it's such a such a great sub subject. All I'd say to people out there is be careful you got in your life, have discernment who's around you. But when you're out there, try and make an impact. Trying to encourage everyone, everyone you meet, see what comes back to you from that. I tell you, if you put a smile on someone's face that's going to make your day that are Believe me, if you if you put a smile on someone's face for the right reasons, not just what you're wearing. for the right reason. That's gonna make it day. So I absolutely encourage you to have the courage to encourage other people. So important Simon's wrap that up beautifully. Wherever you are, whoever you are. Let's encourage the people around us you be listening to Simon pinch back myself, Reverend Ben Cooper, here at the barrel of truth. #Christian straight talk. You can find us on our many different areas and we hope and pray and we actually believe that we are encouraging you because the word of God is encouraging us hold in. Never give up. Never give up hope. Let's encourage one another. God bless