EXHORTING AND ENCOURAGING THE HOME

INTRODUCTION

There was a fire in the big city, and the firemen flung their ladders together, and went up in brave fashion to the very topmost story to rescue the peril in peril. One after another was rescued by the brave firefighters. All had been rescued, it seemed. But no! Yonder is a face at that upper window. They wrapper something about one of the firemen, and, breasting the fierce flames, he went again to that window, and put a robe around the little woman, and started down. They saw him tremble as the fire raged around him, and it seemed that he would fall with his precious burden, but the fire chief cried to his men: “Cheer him on boys! Cheer him on boys! And they cheered him, cheer after cheer, and his heart came back to him – and he came down with a precious life saved.

We live in a day when our families are in desperate need of cheering on – of encouragement.

Our families are living in an evil world filled with temptations on every side.

Our families are confronted with sadness, suffering, discouragement, and weakness.

Our families need exhorting and encouraging!

DISCUSSION

WORD STUDY: Exhortation

Exhortation is translated from the Greek word παρακαλέω.

παρακαλέω is used 109 time in the New Testament.

The idea associated with this Greek word is to earnestly support and encourage a response or action.

παρακαλέω is defined in Greek Lexicons as to call to one’s side, to urge strongly, appeal to, urge, exhort, encourage, to make a strong request for something, to instill someone with courage and cheer.

In several places παρακαλέω appears to mean simply treat someone in an inviting or congenial manner and be friendly to or speak to in a friendly manner.

παρακαλέω is variously translated as exhort, comfort, beseech, besought, desire, pray, intreat, and given.

To παρακαλέω clearly involves strength, compassion, and concern.

IN WHAT ARE WE TO BE EXHORTING?

We are to exhort others in times in affliction.

2 Corinthians 1:4–7 ASV

4 who comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, even so our comfort also aboundeth through Christ. 6 But whether we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which worketh in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: 7 and our hope for you is stedfast; knowing that, as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so also are ye of the comfort.

παρακαλέω is used 10 times in this text.

We are to encourage others to the proper response in times of affliction and/or difficulty.

1 Thessalonians 2:9–12 ASV

9 For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. 10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and righteously and unblamably we behaved ourselves toward you that believe: 11 as ye know how we dealt with each one of you, as a father with his own children, exhorting you, and encouraging you, and testifying, 12 to the end that ye should walk worthily of God, who calleth you into his own kingdom and glory.

In times of travail, we need encouragement.

Encouragement to overcome and walk worthily of the Lord.

We are to exhort to greater faithfulness.

Romans 12:1–2 ASV

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. 2 And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

We need to be cheered on.

We need encouragement to live sacrificial lives.

Ephesians 4:1–3 ASV

1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called, 2 with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

We need encouragement to be diligent.

We need encouragement to have the correct attitudes.

Hebrews 10:24–25 ASV

24 and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.

Encouragement is needed in faithful attendance.

Encouragement to encourage others.

We are to exhort others to stand for the truth.

Romans 16:17 ASV

17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them.

We need encouragement to mark.

We need encouragement to withdraw.

Jude 3 ASV

3 Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.

We need encouragement to contend.

We need encouragement to stand for and uphold the truth.

We are to exhort others to avoid sin.

Hebrews 3:12–13 ASV

12 Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God: 13 but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called To-day; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin:

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1 Peter 2:11 ASV

11 Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

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We are to exhort others to imitate good examples.

1 Corinthians 4:16 ASV

16 I beseech you therefore, be ye imitators of me.

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1 Corinthians 11:1 ASV

1 Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.

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We are to take heed to the word of exhortation.

Hebrews 13:22 ASV

22 But I exhort you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation: for I have written unto you in few words.

a.

b. My friends, we must exhort, but we must also willing receive exhortation.

HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO THE FAMILY?

A. Families need to be exhorters in times of affliction.

1. There will be the affliction of persecution.

a. Children being made fun of because their faith.

b. Parents losing their jobs or promotions because of their faith.

2. There will be the affliction of sadness.

a. There will be times of failure.

b. There will be times of loss.

3. There will be the affliction of sickness.

4. There will be the affliction of disappointment.

B. Families need to be exhorters in faithfulness.

1. Parents must demand and encourage faithfulness to the Lord.

a. “For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him” (Gen. 18:19).

b. “Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Pro. 22:6).

2. Teaching in this area is the key.

a. “Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah: and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart; and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates” (Deut. 6:4-9).

b. “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4).

C. Families need to be exhorters in courage – courage to stand for the truth.

1. The parent’s example in this area is paramount.

2. Many parents are poor examples in this regard.

a. “These things said his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man should confess him to be Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue” (Jn. 9:22).

b. “And there was much murmuring among the multitudes concerning him: some said, He is a good man; others said, Not so, but he leadeth the multitude astray. Yet no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews” (Jn. 7:12-13).

3. Parents must teach their children to be sound in doctrine.

a. “Holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers” (Tit. 1:9)

b. “But speak thou the things which befit the sound doctrine” (Tit. 2:1)

D. Families need to be exhorters in staying away from sin.

1. Teaching what is sin and what is not.

a. “Every one that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness” (1 Jn. 3:4).

b. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 Jn. 3:4; KJV).

2. Helping them to avoid improper influence.

a. “Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33).

b. “That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, And keep the paths of the righteous” (Pro. 2:20).

c. “Walk with wise men, and thou shalt be wise; But the companion of fools shall smart for it” (Pro. 13:20).

E. Families need to exhort to follow good examples.

1. Parents must be a good example.

2. Parents must encourage family to follow proper role models.

F. Spouses need to encourage one another, parents need to encourage their children, and siblings need to encourage one another.

III. HOW CAN THE CHURCH HELP THE FAMILY IN EXHORTATION?

A. The Elders must be exhorters by being good shepherds.

1. “Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to the will of God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:2-3).

a. Elders are to “tend,” feed, or shepherd the flock.

b. “Exercising the oversight” carries the idea of looking after the spiritual well-being of the flock.

2. “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them: for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief: for this were unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17)

3. “Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28)

B. The preacher must be an exhorter by preaching the word.

1. “I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables. But be thou sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil thy ministry” (2 Tim. 4:1-5)

2. “I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly, and from house to house” (Acts 20:20).

3. “I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27)

CONCLUSION:

1. “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh” (Heb. 10:24-25)

2. Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God: but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called To-day; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:12-13).