Engage - Exhort One Another (July 2025)

Engage

As a reminder we are starting to look at the ‘One Another’ commands in the New Testament together as our jumping off point for our Engage discussion times.

Does anyone remember which 'one another’ we looked at last time? It’s the greatest one another command of them all — it was Love One Another. All of the one another commands are natural extensions of showing love for one another.

Today we’re going to be looking at Hebrews 3:13 and a call to exhortation.

Hebrews 3:13 ESV

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.

The greek word here for ‘exhort’ παρακαλέω is sometimes translated a bit softer like invitation or encouragement, or an appeal… but sometimes it is a stronger warning - an exhortation. And the rest of this verse explains why —- that we may not be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

The author of the Hebrews here is encouraging the believers to to this daily. Why exhort one another every day? Because we sin against our Lord every day, and we don’t want to! And some sins find a way to work their ways into our patterns of life that eventually we don’t even notice them. We can grow cold and numb or weary of the battle against sin. I need other brothers in my life who I know love me enough to help get the speck out of my eye so I can see my neediness clearly, see God’s Word and see Jesus clearly - so I can go and sin no more.

Sin left unchecked by other loving, Christ-followers will harden us, and a hardened, unbelieving heart doesn’t enter God’s rest.

Jesus modeled exhortation with both grace and truth. He corrected his disciples in love - get behind me Satan - and also encouraged them to watch and pray that they may not fall into temptation. Why? The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.

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Finally — this type of exhortation typically requires relationship and community. It’s pretty difficult on a Sunday morning like this once a week to exhort one another daily. First of all, it’s only once a week and this verse says ‘daily’. Secondly, how can I encourage or exhort you when I don’t know what you’re struggling with? How can you know how to pray for others, and how can you share your prayer requests if you’re not sharing life together in a community? If you’re not connected in a church small group or a DNA group of some sort, it’s time. We have been praying as a church leadership team about launching a new season of small groups here at Missio this fall, and if you haven’t been a part of one yet it might be the perfect time to join.

Proverbs 27:6 ESV

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

This week a brother in Christ in my DNA group reached out to me and exhorted me in love. He sent me a sermon on YouTube where the main point of the message was basically ‘stop sinning’. I was grateful. It’s what I needed.

Discussion Questions:

What’s a right and a wrong way to exhort a fellow believer?

Do you feel we exhort one another too much or not enough? Why?

Is it easier for you to give or receive an exhortation?