Topical - Holy Spirit - Exhortation, Gift of...

“The Gift of Exhortation”

—Romans 12:6, 8

  I.     The Gift of Exhortation.

A.     What Is Exhortation?

1.       Those With the Gift.

a)        They “encourage us to put into the action the things we know we should be doing”. 

1)        With most people, the problem is not knowing what they should do; it’s doing it. 

(a)      We humans seem to need someone else to:

1.         urge and compel us to appropriate action. 

2.         to excite, motivate, advise, encourage, comfort, and warn us.

3.         to arouse us to get up and get busy fulfilling our task for the Lord.  Many are hearers of the word, but not doers.  They know the truth, they even consent to the truth, but they do not practice it.  Thus, the need encouragement.  They need a push.

(b)      Some People Who Attempt To Exhort Do not Have the Gift.

1.         Their words don’t comfort, they annoy you; their irritating not inspiring

2.         Thank God that there are people with the genuine gift of exhortation to show God’s will.  People who make you want to do what you know you should do.

b)        Exhortation In The Old Testament.

1)        Practically every prophet was an exhorter:

·         They exhorted people to turn from their idols and return to the living God

·         To get back into a right relationship with the Lord.

·         To trust in God and allow the Lord to be their defense.

·         To believe that God would be with them and would bless them and give them victory in battle. 

2)        Exhorting Ourselves.

(a)      David not only exhorted others to pray & give thanks, he also exhorted Himself in times of discouragement (Psalm 42:5, 11; 43:5).

(b)      David’s son Solomon exhorted people to trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6). 

1.         I have done this many of times; we must learn to exhort ourselves.  

2.         This is why it is very important to read & memorize scripture.

2.       Exhortation In the New Testament.

a)        James Is the Classic Exhorter of the New Testament (just read his book).

b)        Peter also exercised the gift of exhortation (1 Peter 5:1-9)

1)        Note How Many Exhortations He Gives:

(a)      Peter exhorts the elders of the church:

1.         (v.2) feed the flock of God

2.         (v.3) take oversight of the church; not lording over God’s people.

3.         (v.3) be examples to the flock

(b)      The younger people in the church:

1.         (v.5) submit yourselves to your elders.

(c)      Everyone else:

1.         (v.5) be submissive to one another.

2.         (v.5) be clothed with humility.

3.         (v.6) humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God

4.         (v.7) cast all your care upon Him.

5.         (v.8) be sober, be vigilant

6.         (v.9) resist the devil; being steadfast in the faith.

c)        Paul & Jude Were Also One’s With the Gift of Exhortation.

1)        1 Thessalonians 5:14-22

2)        2 Thessalonians 3:12

3)        1 Timothy 2:1-2; Jude 3

B.     Scripture Contains Much More Than Doctrine.

1.       Nothing in Scripture is more important than doctrine.

a)        It Is Foundational To Everything Else.

1)        Biblical doctrine can be defined simply as “God’s truth.”

(a)      Apart from God’s truth we could know nothing about Him, or anything about ourselves spiritually, or how God looks at us or what He wants us to be or to do.

(b)      Apart from doctrine there could be no basis for obedience, faith in God or love of God, since we would know nothing about Him.

But Scripture contains much more than doctrine, much more than information about God and about ourselves…

2.       Scripture Also Contains Exhortation for Living Out the Truths We Learn.

a)        Knowing and believing are one side of the coin; living and obeying are the other.

1)        Paul joins the two in his charge to Timothy: “teach and preach” (1 Tim. 6:2).

(a)       “Preach” here means to exhort or admonish.

1.         The job of a pastor is to teach right doctrine and to exhort right living, and

2.         The job of every Christian is to know right doctrine and to pursue right living.

3.         Teaching without exhortation is not biblical.  It is not giving the whole council of God or the purpose of God (2 Timothy 4:1-2).

4.         Exhortation is related to sound doctrine (1 Timothy 4:13).4

b)        The Basic Thrust of Hebrews 12:12–17 Is Clearly Exhortation.

1)        Strengthen, make straight, pursue, and see to it are all terms of exhortation.

(a)      The purpose here is not to teach truth only but to encourage living up to the truth.

1.         With all the doctrine that the book of Hebrews contains, its primary original purpose was not to teach but to exhort (13:22).

3.       Teaching and Exhortation are Inseparable.

a)        There Must Be the Application of the Teaching.

1)        Teaching sound doctrine that is not applied is worthless.

2)        Exhortation that is not based on sound doctrine is misleading.

3)        Intellectually grasping the doctrines of Scripture is not practical Christian living.

1.         Some understand the doctrines of grace but do not experience the grace of those doctrines.

2.         It is one thing to believe in the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture; it is quite another to live under the authority of Scripture.

3.         It is one thing to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord; it is quite another to surrender to His lordship.

4.         It is one thing to believe God is omnipotent; it is quite another to lean on His mighty arm when we are weak or in trouble.

b)        The “thens,” “therefores,” and “wherefores” of the Bible.

1)        Usually transitions from teaching to exhortation, from truth to application, from knowing to doing. 

(a)      Doctrine should lead to something; it should make a difference, a change in our lives.

1.         Romans 12:1-2 – After setting forth the “mercies of God” for eleven chapters, Paul exhorts us to respond by commitment.

2.         Romans 14:12-13 – After the truth that “each one of us shall give account of himself to God,” “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way”.

3.         Galatians 5:1 – After spending several chapters setting forth the truth that Christians are free from the law, Paul exhorts, “Therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery”.

4.         Galatians 6:7-10 – As soon as he finished explaining the doctrine of sowing and reaping, he says, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially those who are of the household of the faith”.

5.         Hebrews 12:1-11 – After faith has been carefully explained and defined and illustrated, the writer says, in effect, “Now that you know what the Christian race of faith is, go out and run it.”

C.     My Exhortation To You.

1.       Sometimes We Forget Things.

a)        2 Peter 1:12-15 – We need exhortation, we need to be reminded of things, not because we don’t know but because we have a tendency to forget things.

b)        Hebrews 10:25 – This is why we need to come to church

1)        Because of the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13), brothers & sister warn us.

(a)      Satan wants you to think that “just this one time is O.K.”

(b)      NO!  Sin Leads to more sin (Romans 6:19)

(c)      Jesus said the Holy Spirit convicts the world of “sin… because they do not believe in Me” (John 16:8-9). 

1.         God says “now is the day of salvation (2 Cor.6:2)”

2.         Satan says, “Tomorrow, you don’t need Jesus now, your young, you’ve got your whole life ahead of you.

2)        The deceitfulness of sin leads to a “drifting away” (Hebrews 2:1).

3)        Drifting away is caused by these things (Mark 4:1-20).

1.         Hearing involves coming to church; accepting what you hear.

4)        Fathers – Parents

1.         Satan deceives us into thinking we have tomorrow to teach our children the Word.

2.         Our children may not be here tomorrow.