Speaking the Truth in Love": Admonish One Another (teach One another)
Notes
Transcript
This morning our topic makes most of us a little uncomfortable. In fact, its something most people try to avoid like the plague, but I believe that when we have a biblical understanding of Admonition, it can become one of the most impactful demonstrations of love for one another in a church family.
Turn with me to Romans 15:14
14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.
As I look back on my life some of the most important milestones I have as a Christian have come as a result of someone stepping into my life and confronting me about my sin.
I can also say that some of my closest friendships today have come as a result of stepping into their lives and confronting them about their sin.
This is what Admonition is all about. its about loving someone enough to do the hard thing.
Admonition means to warn or council a brother against a fault or error in their life.
It has never been easy for me to want correction in my life. It hurts having your sins brought up against you by a brother or sister in Christ.
But I can tell this, There is no greater demonstration of love than someone who is willing to risk rejection from their friend and a broken relationship with their friend all so that that their brother doesn’t continue down a path of destruction in his life.
The reality is that there is not one of us here today that is exempt from Admonition our lives.
We all need it. We all stumble at times, we all get tempted by sinfulness… We need our brothers and sisters to step in and warn us of the dangerous path we are going down.
Likewise- We all should be willing to lovingly correct and warn a brother who is slipping into sin, so that they can be restored before it goes too far.
If warning one another about sin is the most loving thing we can for a brother, then Letting their sin continue would be the most unloving thing you could do for a brother or sister in Christ.
This morning I want to be very transparent with you as my church family.
My life has needed much admonition in it. and without godly men and women stepping into my life I don’t know where I would be today in my walk with God.
I am so thankful that these brothers and sisters in Christ who loved me enough to risk our friendship so that they could warn me of the path I was going down, a path that would lead to destruction.
So being transparent I’ve asked my wife Amy to come up and share a story from our life when we were headed down a path in our relationship with one another that wasn't godly and how someone loved us enough to step in and warn us of the destruction that was coming.
AMY- Testimony of Adam and Jamie.
I am so thankful that Adam and Jamie loved us enough to do the hard thing.
It’s not easy to point out other peoples sins when you know that you are a sinner too, but yet when we are motivated by our love for one another and for our Lord, we can find the strength to do what needs to be done so that our brothers and sisters walk with Jesus can be restored .
This morning I want us to consider 3 things when it comes to Admonishing One another in the body of Christ.
The responsibility for Biblical Admonishment
The Guidelines for Biblical Admonishment
The Benefits of Biblical Admonishment
Point 1: The Responsibility for Biblical Admonishment
Point 1: The Responsibility for Biblical Admonishment
God gave us one another in the church so that we are not alone in our walk with jesus.
He gave us one another so that we dont get discouraged, he gave us one another to spur each other on towards good works and He gave us one another to step into each others lives a\to warn us when we are falling away from the truths of Gods word.
listen to what Christ commands His church
Colossians 3:16 (ESV)
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
1 Thessalonians 5:14 (ESV)
14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
2 Thessalonians 3:14–15 (ESV)
14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
WE have a responsibility as Christians to not let our brothers or sisters slip into sin in their lives.
We have a responsibility to warn them of the dangers sinful behavior can have on their life.
So the real question we should be asking ourselves is “how am I , a sinner qualified to to step into my brothers life and warn him about his sin even though I am still a sinner myself?”
Look with me again at Romans 15 where I believe Paul gives us the answer to this question
Romans 15:14 (ESV)
14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.
Why were these brothers qualified to warn others about their sin? Paul gives us two reasons
They were full of goodness
To be filled with goodness means that you are living your liffe according to God’s Word.
These Believers were not living open rebellious lives against God’s law but they were growing in Sanctification. they were striving to be more like Jesus in their lives.
They understood the power sin can have over their own lives if they let it rule.
understand perfection is not the qualification needed to admonish one another but a heart that seeks to live their life in accordance with Gods word is.
Christians who are sensitive to their own walk with God are capable and responsible to admonish others in Christ.
A believer who is growing in his own relationship with Jesus is qualified to warn others who are not living their lives in line with Scripture.
the 2nd qualification Paul gives us in order to admonish others is that...
They were filled with all knowledge
to Be filled with Knowledge means that you are filed with the truths of Scripture,
Admonishment must be based on God’s Word.
We step into one another lives to warn them that they .living outside of God’s plan for their life,
that they are living in disobedience to God’s Word, and this admonishment must be grounded in the truths of God’s Word.
Too many times Christians try to warn one another on things that are not in God’s word.
We try to use admonition as way of pushing our own personal ideas or preferences onto one another in the church. many times we can even do this out of good motives.
But I would say that when a church starts to impose extra biblical rules upon one another that it is a very dangerous path for us to go down.
Admonition is not about making sure each other keep the rules of the church, admonition is about loving your brother in Christ enough to warn them of the dangers of breaking God’s law in their life.
To summarize our first point today. Admonition is not a task given to the pastor and deacons of a church, Christ gave this responsibility to everyone in the body of Christ.
The question is are you qualified to admonish one another ?
Is you life full of Goodness, are you humbly growing in your walk with Jesus?
Are you filled with all knowledge, uDoes God’s word permeate your life?
Church family we all have been given the responsibility to to do the hard task of admonishing one another.
TRANSiITON: Since Admonition is our responsibility, we need to make sure that as we step into one another's lives that we do it in away that is in line with God’s Word
Point 2: The Guidelines for Biblical Admonishment
Point 2: The Guidelines for Biblical Admonishment
Lets look at 5 biblical guidelines for admonishing one another
Admonishment must be done with deep concern and love for one another
Admonishment must be done with deep concern and love for one another
In Ephesians 4 Paul is speaking on the unity of the church.
He urgesChristian, to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1). and He describes this life as one in which we are humble, gentle, patient, bearing with one another in love, and making efforts toward unity.
Paul reminds the Christians that they are called to build one another up in the faith.
and in this context—of church unity and growing together in spiritual maturity—Paul writes in verse 15” , “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ”
The “love” referred to in this verse is agape love, a self-sacrificial love that works for the benefit of another person. We speak truth in order to build up our brothers and sisters in Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 4:14
14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
When we admonish one another out of love we will do it in a way that will not bring them embarrassment even if they are guilty in their sins.
When we admonish one another it must be bathed in sacrificial love. A love that causes us to desire their spiritual good and not their public embarrassment.
Admonishment must be personal
Admonishment must be personal
Admonition is not what a preacher does from the pulpit, that is called instruction, that is equipping the saints to do the ministry of the gospel
Biblical admonition is a personal conversation with someone you deeply care about.
Paul in 1 Thess 2:11-12
11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
When I was younger my dad had to step into my life often and give me correction, But one thing that my dad never did, was He never used my sin as an opportunity to publicly humiliate me in front of others.
He would always pull me aside by myself and sit me down, and lovingly, and graciously walk through my choices that were leading me down the path of destruction.
Church family Biblical admonition requires that we love one another enough to get uncomfortable in a one on one conversation in private with the purpose of restoring our brother or sister back to Christ.
Admonishment must be persistent if it is to be effective.
Admonishment must be persistent if it is to be effective.
To love one another the way that Christ loved us requires hard work its a life long committment we make towards one another in Christ.
In Acts 20 Paul is speaking to the Pastors in Ephesus and look with me at what he says to them about his admonition towards the church
28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.
Paul says that for 3 years he spent night and day admonishing every one of them with tears.
Admonishment is not a one time event. It is making the committment that you are willing to persevere no matter the cost, so that you can see your brother or sisters relationship with Jesus restored.
Admonishment must have the right goal
Admonishment must have the right goal
28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
Our only goal in admonition is that our brother and sister would become more mature in their walk with Jesus Christ
Its that simple- We humbly step into one another's lives to warn them of sin that is starting to creep in all so that they can grow in their walk with Jesus.
Admonishment must be a natural outgrowth of a healthy body of Christ
Admonishment must be a natural outgrowth of a healthy body of Christ
If we are a healthy body of believers, If we are a healthy church family, than we will naturally step into one another’s lives and warn one another out of love for them.
Think about it this way.
What would you do if your eyes look down and sees that your legs are about to walk through a patch of poison ivy?
I know what your eyes wouldn’t do , they wouldn’t say “oh well its just legs, their going to finally get what they deserve.
Your eyes dont just ignore the problem and think that it will not affect them.
That’s foolish - why would we want our legs which are part of our own body walking down a path that a path that will lead to destruction.
What do we do? Our eyes scream out STOP you are going down a path that leads to destruction, turn around, , If you take one more step you are going to fall into so much pain.
the same thing sis true in a healthy church when we see a brother starting down a path that leads to destruction We warn them before they get too far. We dont wait for the pain to set in , but we admonish them we correct them, we warn them., Why, because they are part of the same body of Christ that we are part of and when they hurt our entire body hurts with them,
When we admonish one another the way that Christ intends for his church to admonish one another we are building up the maturity in the body of Christ
As we close I want us to look at all the benefits we receive through Biblical admonishment in our lives.
Point 3: The Benefits from Biblical Admonishment
Point 3: The Benefits from Biblical Admonishment
1.Admonishment brings Correction in the body of Christ:
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
When we admonish one another it restores our brother’s broken relationship with God.
2. Admonishment leads to the maturity of the body of Christ :
One of the hardest things for any of us to do is to receive admonishment in our lives. We dont like to be told we are wrong and need to change, But...
When we receive admonishment with humility and a willingness to change, it will grow our faith and lead to maturity in Christ.
3. Admonishment gives Protection from sin for the body of Christ:
Admonishing one another can prevent us from falling into sin and straying from God's path.
just like going down a path filled with poison Ivy, If you see the ivy up ahead you dont wait until your friend is all the way engulfed in its vines to warn him of the danger. He cry out before the danger happens. He tell him to turn around and take a better path,
13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
When we admonish one another it protects the body of Christ from being engulfed by sin.
4. Admonishment creates Unity in the body of Christ:
Admonishing one another in love and gentleness leads to unity and harmony within the church and among believers.
Understand that when a brother or sister is walking in sin he is not only walking away from Jesus He is walking down a different path than God has called the church to walk.
This means that when a brother is in sin the unity of the church has been broken and needs to be restored.
1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
When we step into one another’s lives it leads towards the restoration of the unity in the church
Remember what Paul said in Ephesians 4:1-6
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Lets bring it Home
Lets bring it Home
We need one another in the body of Christ
God designed us to need our church family in order to walk faithfully with Him.
This means that you need admonition in your life
You need to be willing to do the hard thing of humbly stepping into a brother or sisters life when they are going down a path that leads to destruction.
Dont wait for them to be engulfed by sin- Love them enough to warn them of the dangerous path they are on.
And if you are like me, you will at times need a brother or sister who loves you to step into your life and warn you of the danger path you are n. And I encourage you to not let your selfish pride keep you from hearing their words of warning in your life. know that they are doing something that is just as hard for them as it is for you, and they are doing it because they love you and they want to see your relationship with jesus restored.
If you see a brother or sister going down a path that leads to destruction, dont wait until its too late, I urge you as your pastor to love them enough to step into their lives and admonish one another.