16th October 2011

The Power and Importance of Exhortation


Definition:

To Exhort = to encourage and to strengthen, to propel forward with words.


1 Corinthians 10:1-5, 9-11

This was the Israel in the wilderness between Egypt and Canaan, and their history is God voice of love and passion toward us.


Hebrews 3:1-2, 5-6

Paul is utilising the same comparison: what happened to Israel in the wilderness and us!


v6 whose house are we = In the same way that Israel’s great vision was to dwell in the Promised Land, our version of that (the anti-type) is for God to reside in us (his house) with all his fulness of glory and blessing! This is not us residing in his house. We have an awesome foretaste of this in our lives now – and an ever increasing Presence in the house.


NB: the big if – Israel had a big “if”. God wanted them to walk believing him, trusting him, and resting on him through the whole journey. But only Joshua and Caleb fulfilled the big “if”).


… if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.


In Egypt – I will bring you out … I will bring you in.


  1. •The whole blessing, the whole realm of fulfilled promises, their entire destiny was declared right their on the place of their salvation – their Passover.

  2. •All Israel had to do was believe it and stay happy about it (NB: 4:12)

  3. •The whole finished work of God for us – his favour, blessing and glory – was declared by the cross.

  4. •All we have to do is to not let go of it – hold fast – believe it and stay happy about it!


Hebrews 3:12-14 Repeat of v6, BUT with a powerful key. Exhort one another daily.

This means ... To encourage and to strengthen, to propel forward with words.


If the Israelites had exhorted one another daily they would have marched triumphantly into Canaan 40 years earlier. Instead it was 40 years of internal struggle with unbelief, complaining, regrets, debates and disappointments. There would be a struggle, but God’s plan was for that not to be internal, but external – as triumphant warriors of faith against the squatter nations of Canaan.


There are two ways of ensuring we hold confidence in God and have an overflowing joy in life to the end:


  1. 1.To be a self-encourager

  2. •David at Ziglag

  3. •Building up your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost

  4. •He who speaking in an unknown tongue edifies himself

  5. •Garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness

  6. •Power of life and death in the tongue


     It’s so important to understand and to practice this. BUT it’s not enough, because it’s a many-membered “house” in which God will reside in his fulness, and self-encouragement is not a many-membered activity.


2.To exhort one another daily

Why “daily”? Because it only takes a day to be discouraged -  that’s the nature of life in an imperfect world.


I want to give permission to everyone of you to phone me, text me, Facebook me, email me every day to encourage, to strengthen and to propel me forward with words.


Anyone else want to give the church permission to speak life and encouragement into them?


Parakaleo = to call to ones side

Parakletos = to call to ones side – comforter


Exhortation is not a cure of all problems and trials, but it creates an atmosphere of faith and of God, and provides the power of agreement, in which issues can be positively, courageously and wisely faced.


  1. •However, the person who is on the receiving end of daily exhortation is seldom one who wakes in the morning feeling low, or who goes to bed at night with anxious thoughts robbing him of sleep.


  1. •Image the atmosphere that might be built around you life if each day you had a Caleb texting us: Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.


  1. •Or a Joshua on the phone: The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. The Lord delights in us, He will bring us into this land and give it to us, "a land which flows with milk and honey.' Only do not fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us.


You are a person of incredible destiny, blessing, favour and promise!

God has called you to a joy-filled, faith-filled, Holy Ghost filled, triumphant life!

BUT he’s made it so that we get one another there!


I would never had known or experienced half of that bliss and uplift, had it not been for brothers and some sisters who had chosen to be exhorters in my life.