Jesus the Encourager - a podcast by Lewis Marsh

Finding Jesus in the Old Testament

Week Six: Jesus the Encourager

By Louie Marsh, 2-13-2022

 

Intro – future series – cartoons last one about the son

 

1) Jesus comes to me in my deepest FEARS.

 

“11Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites.” (Judges 6:11, ESV)

 

2) His form of encouragement is UNUSUAL.

 

“12And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”” (Judges 6:12, ESV)

 

• This is Godly

 

“27And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.” (1 Kings 18:27–29, ESV)

 

• Be extremely CAREFUL with it.

 

“4For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.” (2 Corinthians 11:4, ESV)

 

3) God doesn’t owe me ANSWERS to my questions.

 

“13And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”” (Judges 6:13–14, ESV)

 

• In the Bible God never EXPLAINS

 

“23Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever! 24Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?” (Psalm 44:23–24, ESV)

 

• Probably because I’m not capable of UNDERSTANDING

 

“2“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?” (Job 38:2–5, ESV)

 

4) Jesus gives me HOPE of a future deliverance.

 

“3And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, 5for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”” (Judges 13:3–5, ESV)

 

5) Jesus stands WITH ME in the fire.

 

“24Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” 26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire.” (Daniel 3:24–26, ESV)

 

“16At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.” (2 Timothy 4:16–17, ESV

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