“And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.”     Rom 15:14 NASU

"But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.  We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” 1 Thess. 5:12-14 NASU

   What is Admonishment?  

It is used in many various ways, depending on the version that you are using?

            UNAS- 'admonish one another'

            NIV-     'warn one another'

            Other versions- 'counsel one another,' and 'correct'

The word admonish comes from the Greek word noutheteo (verb).  It means ‘to put in mind,’ ‘to caution or reprove gently.’

A friend of mine made a statement one evening in the men’s bible study.  It has really stuck with since he said a few months back, and I reflect on it every once in awhile.  “I’d rather have men around me that care more about me, than they do about my feelings.”  I’d like to also to add to the end of that, “or feeling that I might reject them if they say something.”

There is a lot of truth in that statement.  I would rather have a friend confront me about some sin that is in my life, that I need to deal with, than for him or her to feel that I might reject him or her if they say something, so they say nothing to me.  Some of you may think that, well it’s a Pastor’s job to deal with someone who needs to be corrected or counseled.  No, it’s not!  It is our responsibility as Christians, as brothers and sisters in Christ, that if you know of someone who is in sin, that we confront them about it in love.  There are exceptions to when Pastors and Elders need to be involved.  For sake of time, I’m not going to go into that right now.

What makes us “competent to admonish others”?

As we read in Romans 15:14, Paul states that the readers were “full of goodness” (Rom. 15:14a).  These believers were able to admonish one another because they were making progress in their own Christian lives.  You do not want to get yourself caught up in thinking you need to be perfect in order to admonish someone.  If someone is in sin, and you think that, I am not a good enough Christian right now to confront him or her about it, then you never will confront him or her.  Because only Jesus was and ever will be perfect.  What Paul was telling the Gentiles in Romans 15, is that you do not have to be perfect to confront someone.  You need only to be making progress in you Christian life.  Christians who are sensitive about their own walk with God are capable—and responsible—to admonish other Christians.  We need to make sure our act is together, before we try to help others get their act together.

Continuing in Romans 15:14b, they were “complete in knowledge”.  You need to have an adequate knowledge of God’s word.  If you are not reading God’s word, and spending time in prayer, then you are in a place where you need to get your act together.  How can you even attempt to counsel some one or even approach them about a sin issue they may have if you do not know the word of God.  The main reason for this is that it is the word of God that gives us direction on how to live our lives.  And the person, whom ever they are, needs to know that this is not your opinion, but what the word of God says.

We need to be careful that admonishment is based on God’s specific will and ways—not on what we think other Christians should or should not be doing.  Likewise, it should be based on scriptural lists of sins, not a list that we have added to the Bible.  For example, going to the movies.  The bible doesn’t say anything about going to the movies.  But, Philippians 4:8 warns us against exposing our minds to impure and unrighteous things.  Therefore, the bible doesn’t say anything about not going to the movies!  However, it does guide us into what movies we could go and watch or not.

   (Additional Biblical Guidelines)

Admonishment must be done with deep concern and love. 

"Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.”  Acts 20:31 NASU

This potion of scripture is from Paul to the Ephesians.  I am sure there is no doubt in these men’s minds that Paul loved them.  Paul’s tears were a reflection of his concern for them.  Paul didn’t just admonish these men because he thought he was better than they were.  He had a deep concern for them.  He love them as fellow brothers in Christ.  That’s why he could go to them and correct them.

Also, admonishment must frequently be personal.  Make it a private matter, not a public matter.  It only needs to be between you and the person you are admonishing.  It does not need to be shared with the bible study group that you both are attending.  You know what I mean?  Sharing during prayer time about the sin.  “I’d like to pray for John Doe because he had been struggling with sin in the area of such and such.”  No!   It only need to be between the two of you. 

Continuing on those same lines, admonishment must be persistent if it is to be effective. 

 “The word of God is filled with a multitude of exhortations, warnings, and instructions.  It takes a lot of time to communicate them all—and a lifetime to apply them.”    Gene Getz, “Building Up One Another” 

That is such a true statement.  If someone is struggling in sin, and you have been counseling him or her through it.  Don’t think you just have to tell him or her about it and that’s it.  You will have to be persistent with them and hold them accountable to make sure they are headed down the right path.  Also, and very importantly, we must do all we can to avoid embarrassing people—even those who are guilty.  Admonishment has to and must flow from pure motives.

Lastly, and I believe most importantly, admonishment must have the proper goal.  There should be only one basic objective when we admonish others; to help them become more mature in Jesus Christ.  Let me repeat that!  The only basic objective and goal should be to help them become more mature in Jesus Christ.  If you have any other goal than helping them to become better Christians, than you better evaluate what you doing and why. 

Each of us, before we admonish anyone should always evaluate our lives.  Are you “full of goodness?”  Do you have “knowledge of God’s word?”  Are you motivated by love?  As we close, I hope we seriously pray about what admonishment is and our biblical responsibility to it.  Over this past weekend, putting this teaching together, God has really opened my eyes to areas that I need to work on.  I pray that each of you do the same. 

   Verses on Admonishment

Acts 20:31

Rom 15:14

1 Cor. 4:14

Col 1:28

Col 3:16

1 Thess. 5:12-14

2 Thess. 3:15

“The honour of your Lord and Master, and of His holy truth, doth lie more on you than other men.”

Christians are sons and daughters of God. As believers we are reborn. In much the same sense that people are born the first time bearing the image of God—in a general sense—we are now reborn bearing even more specifically the image of God in our hearts. The metaphor of the son in scripture carries with it this idea. The son bears the image of the father. Where the son is disgraced so is the father, where the son is shamed, the father also bears this shame. Have you ever heard the phrase “bringing shame to the family name”? It’s a similar idea.

As Christians, we have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God’s son, Jesus. We are considered sons and co-heirs with Christ. As such, we have all of the privileges and responsibilities that come with the territory. We have the obligation not to bring disgrace to God. Think back to our family, the Church’s, history. Our brothers and sisters have committed heinous crimes, and the world equates them to God. The Crusades; how many think of the crusades, the bloodshed and violence, and somehow come away from that believing that God is not who he claims to be? Granted, many at that time were not true brothers. What about the early American settlers who acted superstitiously towards some women calling them “witches”? Or what about today, every time an unbeliever finds himself in an unloving, uncaring, uncompassionate church congregation? They do not walk away thinking, “These people are not very friendly.” They walk away thinking, “God is not who he says he is.”

So all men bearing the title Sons of God, true Christians, do have the responsibility to live a life that reflects God; to bring honor to his name. This is a responsibility we take on the moment we find ourselves as part of his family. However, for ministers, this is all the more true. A minister of the Gospel carries God, not only in his classification, but very specifically in all of his workings. While, one person may serve tables to the glory of God, and so silently serve God, the minister of the Gospel is not under that obscurity. Every action is a vocal expression of his connectedness to Christ. So even the smallest misstep brings great disgrace to God.

Jesus, I pray that for the sake of your glory, you would sanctify your church. Sanctify especially your ministers. Help us, by your power, to take our bearing of your image very seriously. Let us never walk lightly with such precious cargo as your reputation. Jesus, I acknowledge that you have every power and ability to make your name great, regardless of me or anyone else, and I thank you that you would give me the privilege of bearing your image. Jesus, for your glory, help us to do that well.

“Your sins are more aggravated than those of other men. They have more hypocrisy in them.”

When a man knows full well that he should not covet, however does it anyways, his sin is much more criminal than had he not known in the first place. So it is with ministers. When you preach week in and week out against all kinds of sins and for so devoted and passionate a life for Christ, anything less than to fully heed your own words makes your own sin terribly aggravated; it makes its offense that much worse. Far worse than had you never spoken about it in the first place. Of course that in no way means ministers should not speak out—no, it means simply ministers should be all the more diligent to mortify their flesh.

In addition to that, to be a minister and to still to entertain and court with sin is exceedingly hypocritical. Once again, where to simply be a Christian and sin is hypocrisy, the sin is much greater when your job itself is to help lead others away from sin into a more vibrant walk with the Lord. So a minster should be 'above reproach' (2 Tim. 3:2), not only that his sins would not be seen, but truly expelled from his person.

Jesus, I pray that you would sanctify the minsters of your Gospel. Jesus, I pray that you would lead them to be above reproach, filled with love, compassionate, and passionate about following your commandments to love you (so as not to sin) and to love others (so as to give themselves up). Jesus, help us to be gracious and merciful to our ministers and to love them as brothers; when they fall in hypocrisy, help us to lift them. Jesus, when we fall in hypocrisy, help them to lift us.

“Many eyes are upon you, and therefore there will be many to observe you falls.”

This is an excellent mercy from God. Sin is a dreadful thing that threatens so much of our comfort and joy in the Lord. Having so many eyes upon you leaves you with many accountability partners. Anything that can help us to abstain from sin is an excellent mercy and it should be embraced.

When leading a small group a while back it was a time that I enjoyed an easier height of holiness. Teaching week in and week out about the Christian’s walk, causes the obvious sins to be exposed regularly to the light and as such there is greater motivation to withdraw from them. Of course, that doesn’t always lead a minister to stand against the more subtle sins of the heart, however, if he wishes to keep his hands clean, he’ll have to endeavor for a clean heart as well.

Jesus, I pray for the ministers of your Gospel in your church that you would remind them of the scrutinizing eyes they lay under. Use those eyes to compel them to expel sin from their lives and so descend more deeply into you and your word. Give us grace God to walk this life in a manner, with a heart, glorifying to you.

“(You) have greater temptations than most men.”

The first two of Baxter's points had a pretty good application for every Christian, being that on some level all are called to minister. However, the third point and most of the points from here on out apply mostly to those who's calling is to make it their primary business to minister the Gospel. Nevertheless, they are more than worthy of our attention.

As a minister, as someone called to preach, teach and lead, the enemy's sights are aimed squarely on you. When seeking victory over one of the children of God he hates, he will target you. Baxter uses the analogy of two warring nations. When a general wishes to destroy his adversary, he would wish most to destroy his opposing general, more so than he would like to destroy an infantry man. The same is true of us; our enemy will prefer to set his sights on God's captains, rather than his troops. Of course we know that all Christians will come under the fire of the enemy, so all Christians have need to put on the full armor of God. However, in that dichotomy, the enemy's most fervent efforts are against the minister.

The enemy knows full well that a success in deceiving you surely means a success in deceiving many who will follow you; it is certainly his hope that they will follow you into destruction.

Jesus, I pray that you would protect your ministers of your Gospel. Defend them from the deceptions and attacks of the enemy. Defend them from the traps into sin that are laid for them. Jesus, I pray that you would give grace and mercy in the places where the enemy has found some victory; restore those minsters to strong standing in you—allow them to confidently refute the enemy, and faithfully lead your people. Jesus, sanctify your church and defend us all as we come under the attack.

“You have sinful inclinations as well as others.”

When in leadership positions, the people being led have a pretty natural tendency to view the leader as perfect. Week in week out leading discussions against sin and for God might lead that group to an unhealthy view of the person in leadership. It's not easy to publicly embrace the truth that we have “sinful inclinations” just like everyone else. It feels good to be placed on some idealistic pedestal. From there, I don't imagine it's too far a leap to lie to ourselves and actually believe we are that idealistic persona. What a dangerous position that is.

John says in his first general epistle, “If we say we have no sin we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us!” (1 John 1:8). Not only as leaders, but simply as Christians, the temptation to make ourselves appear more holy than we are is ever-present. Some will even embrace the lie. Some will go about, ignoring that they have a fallen nature which constantly beckons them back, and for this reason fall into a great number of sins.

I believe that it also may be a contributing factor to the unbeliever feeling 'judged'. While certainly when we share the Gospel, an unbeliever will feel judged (he's coming under the conviction of sin, it makes sense). But, when the believer lives an abundantly hypocritical life, the judgment, I think, is shifted from being a righteous judgment from God, to a false one from men.

We must, not only as ministers, but as Christians embrace a deep humility that constantly reminds that we are sinners, no more worthy of the grace received than the worst of sinners. We should walk according to that humility, not allowing our favor in God's sight to be forgotten because of vain pride.

Jesus, I pray that you would give me humility. Lord, would you entrench that humility deep in my heart and remind me constantly of your awesome grace and power to save, even a sinner such as myself. Jesus, in light of a sinful world, help me to remember that I am only blameless because you have made me that way. Sanctify your church, God, for the sake of your glory!

1. You have heaven to win or lose yourself... a holy calling will not save an unholy man.

2. You have sinful inclinations as well as others.

3. (You) have greater temptations than most men.

4. The tempter will make his first and sharpest onset upon you. If you will be leaders against him, he will spare you no further than God restrains him.

5. Many eyes are upon you, and therefore there will be many to observe you falls.

6. Your sins are more aggravated than those of other men. They have more hypocrisy in them.

7. The honour of your Lord and Master, and of His holy truth, doth lie more on you than other men.

8. The souls of your hearers and the success of your labours, do very much depend upon your self-examination.

I might take the next eight days and expand on each of these points. They are so poignant that they seem that much good could come from considering each of them more carefully. I don't know, we'll see.

Toward the end of his message, he asked that we examine ourselves to find if there were any places of our lives that we knew of in which we neglected something “small”. With all of my well disguised pride, I sat pensively considering his question. Though the monologue in my head saying “Gee, I just can’t think of anything” was much to loud to think much of anything else. Finally though, I heard an almost audible voice in my head saying, “But Bill, what about all that illegally downloaded music that you have from before you were a Christian?” I of course immediately responded, “Well that doesn’t count because of… well…” At that point it was clear that I was under conviction and if I did anything other than submit I would have been making things very uncomfortable (and dangerous) for myself. I resolved at that point to return home after the service and delete the music from my ipod.

Just as had been decided, I returned home and began at the top of the list deleting things that I didn’t own. I quickly realized that this was going to be a painful process. During the church service when the decision was made, I could only think of the music that I never really listened to. Of course when I got home, I found that much of what I was deleting was actually some of my favorite music. Uncomfortable as it was, I’m convinced that it doesn’t compare to the discomfort that would come along with refusing to do it. So in about 35 minutes I went from 13,500 songs to about 7,500 songs.

I don’t say any of this in order to make myself seem righteous, or to boast in any way. I say it for a number of other reasons.

First of all, my ipod and music collection have remained something like a stronghold for me. I’ve always thought something like, “I could give up pretty much anything… except all that music.” So for me, this is a great time to praise God for having provided the strength to do what is right, and deny myself; something that already has produced good fruit.

Secondly, I use this as a means of admonishment. In the lives of you who are reading this, there is something that you hold on to that you are under conviction for. I plead with you to relinquish it! God will provide you the strength necessary and your obedience will give God his glory, and give way to a more full and satisfying walk with the Lord.

Jesus, I pray again that you would sanctify us, your church, to bring you more glory and allow us more satisfaction in you! Get your glory, God!

Romans 6:16 reads, “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” According to Paul here in God’s Word, who we ‘serve’, shows who our ‘master’ is. Twice so far in Romans Paul has made it clear that grace is not a license to sin and here he has brought it to a head. Were our master ‘obedience’ we would surely be obedient to “repent and believe the Gospel” and were that the case we would surly see that our condition is under grace. It would be impossible for us to be under grace and continue willingly and unashamedly in sin, this would be proof enough that our master is sin and if our master is sin, then it is not obedience and we couldn’t possibly be under grace. We should however, remember that grace is a free gift from God, as Paul makes abundantly clear; however with grace comes the necessary obedience; where there’s not grace, there won’t be obedience either.

I think this is largely the idea that John had in mind when he wrote, “No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.” (1 John 3:6) If we have known him and his grace, if he truly is our Lord as we claim him to be, we cannot possibly also submit to the lordship of sin; you cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).

As I have examined my walk, I am ashamed to have found the frequency with which I used grace as a license to sin. Not actively, but passively; subconsciously. Not considering the true weight of sin or the implications of it. When grace is tossed around so frivolously and sin regarded as so little, the natural result is living and acting like one has a license to do so. It’s just not the case on any level whatsoever.

If we will call ourselves Christians, we must look conscientiously at our lives and ask some seriously tough questions. Questions like, “who is my master?” We cannot afford not to do this, the stakes are simply too high; for we know that submission to sin leads to death.

Jesus, I pray that you would give us grace and mercy. I pray that you would reveal to us our areas of licentious living. Jesus, give us strength not to ignore dangerous signs in our lives, but rather to look at them prayerfully and soberly, allowing you to conform us to a more godly way. By the Holy Spirit sanctify us and make our allegiance clear to us and to all; it must be to you always and in every way. God, get all of your glory!

I have heard before in discourse fellows saying things like, “it is not like we always need to be thinking about God.” To this, I agree; kind of. I agree there are times that it will be necessary for us to think of ‘other’ things; but I suggest that they shouldn’t be ‘other’ things at all. When every thought has been taken captive (2 Cor. 10:5) and put into obedience to Christ, is there truly any matter, whether ‘directly’ relating to God or not, that is not placed under the Lordship of Christ? For example, if every thought has truly been taken captive and yet someone gives thought and attention to football, that thought then exists under the Lordship of Christ and that thought is glorifying God (Romans 14:6). However, let’s say that our thoughts are not taken captive and we give our thoughts to football? We have engaged in idolatry. What happens if we give our thoughts to our work or business? We have engaged in idolatry. What happens if we give our thoughts, even thoughts, to God? We have engaged in idolatry, because the thoughts are still held captive by self and therefore even the thoughts we have about God are wicked (Isaiah 64:6).

Stop! William, do not ease your conscience with this, saying “You see, think about whatever you will, because in God’s eyes, it is righteous.” It is much to easy to simply go on in a pattern of idolatry and wickedness of thought, under the guise that you have been permitted to do so. Have you been permitted to do so; can you be sure of this? Have your thoughts been taken captive to the obedience of Christ? Or do you maintain captivity of your thoughts and sometimes lend them sinfully to Christ? I urge that we wrestle with these ideas. Question if what we are thinking about is good or is it wicked.

And what happens if these thoughts are not taken captive and put into obedience to Christ? Well, I can almost assure you that they will not just stay in our heads forever. They’ll almost certainly seep out through out hands into whatever we touch and create a great deal of grief; whether it be unjust business dealings, hurtful lies to a spouse or loved one, or a violent rape. This is a dangerous line to walk; let’s take our thoughts captive to Christ!

Jesus, I pray for mounting humility in my thoughts. I confess the pride that lurks in the dark of my mind. Jesus, I pray that you would shine light on these dark places and burn them up! Jesus, I pray that by your Holy Spirit, you would create in me and in your church, holiness through and through, to your glory!

I have obvious gripes with movies that make play with demonic forces. I have issues with movies that point overwhelmingly to hell. But I think most of all, I have issues with movies that are unabashedly grotesque. Sometimes the promos even flaunt them that way. You’ve probably heard that ridiculous voice actor from the previews, “A grisly tail that will haunt you for weeks!” It’s not as much bothersome when the bawdiness is instigated by, or involved in some supernatural or otherworldly force (i.e., aliens, zombies, etc.). However, that’s not really the majority of these movies.

I recently read a review of the movie Untraceable. I have no intention of seeing this movie, especially after reading the review. The basic gist is that people gradually murder victims through carefully designed torture weapons simply by logging onto a website. Sounds great. Before this it was a whole host of other ultra realistic gore parades, including the Saw trilogy, The Hills Have Eyes, and Hostel, just to name a few; movies that recreate very real human suffering only for the sake of entertainment; any redeeming word to humanity was lost long ago in the gallons and gallons of (probably, although we can’t tell) artificial blood.

“In prison, they put iron tubes around his legs and tightened them with screws. Then they beat on the tubes with a hammer until the vibrations broke the bones in both legs. All this to make him confess to imaginary crimes against the government. He did not confess. Several Communist police officers then went to his home and one of them, a woman, held Vladimir’s baby in his hands and told Vladimir’s wife, ‘If you don’t sign an accusation against the prisoner [her husband], we will smash the had of the child.’ She refused… the woman police officer smashed the baby’s head against the wall several times, killing it.”

The above quote doesn’t come from a synopsis of a Hollywood movie; although it likely could have. It comes from Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Vladimir was a Christian undergoing very real torture for his “crimes”. To speak hypothetically, let’s say that Vladimir were here today and went to the movies to see one of the installments of Saw. How do you suppose he would react to seeing a victim rigged into some terrifying murder and torture device?

Which brings me to my larger point, how do we go one minute and indulge in the very realistic fantasy of seeing someone brutally and graphically tortured and murdered purely for our own entertainment, to the next minute in which we are supposed to be compassionate, loving and broken hearted for those in pain. I submit that it is unlikely that the two can coexist. Either watching it on screen must break our hearts for those who are, even right now, experiencing similar horrors; or else we must have little or no compassion for those people and on some level delight in their pain. If we continue on this path, I doubt it will be very long at all before someone merges these horror films with reality television and we see a rebirth of the Roman Gladiators.

Jesus, I pray that you would change my heart. I pray that you, by your Holy Spirit would be persistent in sanctifying me. God, I pray that you would create in me an ability for the words of my mouth to meet the actions of my body. Jesus, I pray that you would give me and your church a broken heart for those in need, for those suffering, for those dying; for the sake of your glory, O Lord.

1 Peter 4:7 says, “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.” The apostle appeals to the urgency and seriousness of our condition as a means to say we ought to always be on the verge of prayer. At any moment, at the drop of a hat, ready to pray earnestly and fervently! Jesus says in Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” In the condition of our flesh, he appeals to our need for God’s grace and therefore prayer. Our flesh is prone to evil and if left to our own devices we will surely fall under the temptations presented; Jesus prescribes our defense. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says simply, “Pray without ceasing.”

Taken objectively, these are relatively heavy words. Much seems to hang in the balance for us. Unfortunately, as mankind goes, things that infringe on our situational, relational and carnal comforts are generally undesirable. It appears that it is easier to turn them into highly quotable bible quips than allow them to cut us to the bone and radically alter the way we approach our lives and relationships. It bolsters our delusion that this dingy motel is in fact a small mansion in the suburbs.

I admit today that I am ashamed of myself and my conduct. I am a regular offender; the phrase, “I need to shift gears to pray,” is never far from my lips. What gear am I ordinarily in? I submit that it is not one of “sobriety of spirit.” Where is my mind and heart? Where have I become lax with my actions that my heart would fallow? What wickedness have I followed to find myself in such a dreadful “gear”?

I contend again that I am, we are, truly sojourners in this world! This is not our home, this is not our land! I protest our Christian cultures implication that there is any gaiety to the Word of God and this path we walk. We must take the words of our God with the immense gravity they carry; beat our flesh into submission and seek true satisfaction in the only place it is to be found! When the Word says anything, such as “pray without ceasing,” we must not change its meaning to justify ourselves in continuing in our own way!

William! Today you have heard his voice, do not harden your heart! Church, encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin!

The past days I have felt a great weight on my heart. Most especially to you who have wandered from God. I have been filled with sorrow as my memory highlights times when my own actions may have lead to this. I’m filled with grief over it and continually pray for you, whoever you are. I do not write these things in judgment; I know that it in my flesh I too am prone to wander and if left to my own devices, I would. In my flesh, I am only one step away from the worst of sins, but I thank God for having constrained my will thus far and pray, beg that in his mercy he would do the same for you!

So, have you wandered from the fold of God? God knows this and your conscience bears witness too it as well! Perhaps, besides your best efforts, you elevated your romantic interest of the day above your love for God. Or maybe it was a sin that you could not beat; no matter the accountability or the measures to prevent it, it lurked everywhere carrying with it discouragement that you eventually folded under. Or was it your most sinful love of this world; your job, your house, you money, the things your money bought? Do not try to fool yourself with contextually groundless idioms! ‘Once saved, always saved,’ ‘we’ll never stop sinning,’ ‘God understands my position,’ ‘I need to be in the world, but not of the world’. Brother, you are of the world and you are in great danger! You are being duped by a poison that will flatter your mouth but kill your stomach! Do not justify your position; for what you fashion might look like justification through the dimly lit eyes of a man, but before God, it is a wretched departure from the perfect and true justification of Jesus Christ; you have traded gold coins for rotting wooden ones, which will never afford your salvation!

Do you not understand the dangerous trap that you’re walking into? This is not about freedom of speech, artistic expression, personal interest, experiencing or ‘living’ life or even about a season in life. We are talking about eternity. You may think to yourself that you have much time to ponder all these things, but first you will go and live a little. Stop! Stop! Stop! Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? Stop! Don’t you know that you are storing up wrath for yourself? (Romans 2:4-5) You might think yourself young enough to live, but you are old enough to die, and I assure you your ‘living’ is not worth it!

What have you done? Have you looked at a woman or a man and made them into a banquet of lust for yourself? Did you masturbate? Did you have sex with that person? Did you rape that person? Did you look at pornography, do you make pornography? Do you hate someone, fantasize about killing them? Did you carry out your murderous fantasy? Do you envy your neighbors things? Did you take them when he wasn’t looking? Have you been smoking marijuana, getting drunk, doing heavier and heavier drugs? Have you been selling those drugs? Have you filled your life with little lies that affect no one, but you? That is a great lie! Have you cursed God? Have you cursed Jesus? Brother, you have not blasphemed the Holy Ghost! Come back, it is not too late to come back!

There is grace enough for you; today, you hear his voice! Stop! don’t harden your heart with pride! (Hebrews 4:7) Don’t forget the parable of the prodigal son so soon! While you are at the trough longing to feast with the pigs, your Father waits for you, desires your returning. He waits with a robe, a fine ring and fresh sandals for your feet, which are no doubt cut and bleeding! Come back, come back, come back! You will never be satisfied where you are and when you have had your fill of garbage and putrid meat, even still, death awaits you! Come back, come back, come back! There is still grace enough for you! I beg you, from a burden on my heart for you, in the name of Jesus Christ, come back and live!

In Matthew 5:48, Jesus says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This passage of scripture is dealing directly with love for our “enemies.” Those who don’t know God are at enmity with God (Romans 1:30) and are therefore in a sense, our enemies. We are no less commanded to love them; but as scripture says, we will be “hated by all nations because of [Jesus]” (Matthew 24:9, John 15:18). We are commanded to imitate God in his perfection both to the glory of God and for the sake of our enemies; those who do not know God yet, that they might be saved.

Later in scripture, in 1 Peter 2:12, the Apostle Peter exhorts us to “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse [us] of doing wrong, they may see [our] good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” Scripture is pretty waterproof when it comes to our holiness; there is no good excuse for any kind of sin, and there is even less excuse when amongst unbelievers. And as for us, even when we do not explicitly sin ourselves, it would be better for us to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around our neck than to cause another to sin! So we must watch ourselves! (Luke 17:2-3)

We are aliens in this world; this is not our home! (1 Peter 2:11) Yet why do we insist on not living like it? There is no room for drinking, carousing, joking, laughing, frankly living at all, when it advertently or even inadvertently lends approval to the sin of another; whether they are believers or not. Is the worst we stand to lose our comfort in the moment, our satisfaction in our recreation? Or maybe at worst the laying down of all these things could lead to a shorter sojourn on this earth; but in light of our adoption by our glorious father, is that even truly a draw back? I contend that it is not.

I am ashamed of my own conduct, for which I repent and beg that God would have mercy on me and on those whose feet have been lead astray by me. I pray that we, the church in our young generation, would vie earnestly for holiness at whatever cost; it would be better to die than to sin or cause another to do so!

I would like to, in brief, share something that Mr. Murray states in the second chapter of his book that I believe the church, especially those within leadership roles, ought to consider. Spurgeon experienced vast success in presenting the Gospel and even lived through revival times where many responded to that presentation; on this, Mr. Murray comments:

“It is tempting to turn these statistics to account in interpreting Spurgeon to the present day; to argue, for instance, that if ministers followed his example, or espoused his full theology, there would be like results in this age…”

It seems to me that there is a great push to formulate past successes in ministry into present and future successes in ministry. Perhaps this is not always from an improper motive, but if left to itself will always lead to a crumbled burning ruin of ministerial efforts. To this Mr. Murray further comments: “by the enduement of the Holy Ghost, Spurgeon was fitted to work in the reaping time in English church history.” In other words it was not Spurgeon’s formula, but the prerogative of the Holy Ghost at that time. “God does not merely give opportunities to preachers and leave the rest to them.” Mr. Murray writes.

I think we as a church and ministers at large should consider this as they prepare their messages and oversee their congregations. Consider what choices flow from a fervent faith in the power and movement of God and which flow from a carbon copy quick fix of the last greatest ministry. The latter is truly a lack of faith, which carries grave implications (Romans 14:23).

As I was reading today in my book, The Sinfulness of Sin by Ralph Venning, he said something strikingly well articulated. Mr. Venning writes, “take riches here for the present, while they are at their best; the pains of getting, the cares of keeping, and the fear of losing, eat out the comfort of having.” That’s part of the way I felt about my old car. I had a 2003 Honda CR-V. Great car. But I spent so much time working to pay for it, and worrying about breaking it, that it made it difficult to really enjoy having it.

Mr. Venning also writes, “A man’s aim is satisfaction, but the eye is never satisfied with seeing nor the ear with hearing (Ecclesiastes 1:8). Now if these things cannot satisfy the senses, much less can they satisfy the souls of men.” During this season, I wonder what it would look like if we really abandoned the commercial holiday of Christmas (in our hearts) and embraced what the day is really supposed to be marking. Next year, we will be unsatisfied again. Even after chasing this year’s satisfaction. Then the year after that, it’ll be the same story. I, for myself, truly want to abandon that forever. How can the church be taken seriously when even we, by our actions, are teaching our kids and families to crave the best presents? I mean, we’re not just taking about December 25^th. We’re taking about the birth of God in the flesh, savior to mankind, the great I AM! How could we still be tapping our foot in anticipation of a Nintendo underneath that wrapping paper?

Please, don’t get me wrong, in many ways I’m a great transgressor of what I speak of here. But I wish so much for us, me included, to abandon those materialistic ways and instead cling to God in new ways, for deeper satisfaction and for a greater degree of His glory!

“Earlier this afternoon, the bodies of a woman and her three children were found in their *insert town name here* home. Several hours later, the body of husband and father was found in a hotel room. He had apparently committed suicide.”

My thoughts following this, or similar reports is usually something of disdain for the murderer and sympathy for the family. If asked, I would likely say that there is not a circumstance under the sun in which I would ever do something so vile, and evil. I think this would be the response of nearly everyone. I would venture to say even the man who lays dead following his crimes. So what has set you or me apart from him? I think there is less than we’d like to believe.

I’m reading about King David, the man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). His story can be found throughout 1^st & 2^nd Samuel. Theologically speaking, David is a typology of Christ. But in basic terms, David was a great man; a man after God’s own heart. That’s a heck of a claim. It seems unlikely to me that I would be described that way. I’m not sure I can think of anyone I could imagine being described that way. In 2^nd Samuel chapter 11, David is up on his roof top, and across the way he can see Bathsheba (a married woman) bathing. Infatuated with her, he summons her. In spite of being informed that she is a married woman. David has sex with Bathsheba and she becomes pregnant. When he receives word of this, he panics and in his fear, he has her husband killed by sending him to the front lines of a war.

This is a familiar story for many of us. I’ve read it many times. Even before knowing the love of Christ, I was acquainted with this story. But rarely what I remember is that this story is a harsh warning for humility. What if I were presented with the fourty pieces of silver as Judas was, would I betray Jesus with a kiss? What if I saw the beautiful woman bathing, would I summon her and in the wake of my failure and sin have her husband murdered? What if I were the man wrought with stress from the demands of a family I could not support, would I pull the trigger? In my pride, I answer these questions with an emphatic, “no!” But when I am humble, I pray for mercy to God that he would not allow me to fall under temptation (Matthew 26:41).

The story of King David calls us to great humility! That is what the Lord is placing on my heart as I read though the story of David’s life. 1 Corinthians 10:12 says, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!” then continues in verse 13 to say, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.” So what then, do we remain proud, that there are some sins that are below us? But out of the heart comes “evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness and slander!” (Matthew 15:19) My heart, your heart are “deceitful above all things,” and in the flesh, “beyond cure” (Jeremiah 17:9). Ralph Venning, in his book The Sinfulness of Sin, puts it this way:

“Though all these things are not done by every sinful man… but are all of them in the heart of all sinners in their seed and root. So what is done by any man would be done by every man, if God did not restrain some men from it by His power, and constrain others to His obedience by His love and power.”

I am convicted that I should ever think myself above any sin. It is the grace of God that I was not Judas; something I wish never to cease praising Him for. But today, I want to continually beseech God that he would defend me by His Spirit from temptation of many kinds. I pray that you would do the same and that He would bring us more deeply into passionately loving relationship with Him. On the day of his crowning we will be His bride, inheritance, crown and we will be beautiful.

Praise God for His never ending love, power and will to save sinners from the pain of not knowing Him and his goodness!

In your youth, you traveled. You visited the neighboring cities and countries of your birth. You weren't smart, you weren't persuasive; but you were powerful. Your dumb brains toppled the intellectual topics of the day, the false gods of other societies with ease. You didn't care if your name was Paul or if your name was Apollos; although sometimes you needed to be reminded; it was only slime, grit, grease, dirt and blood that would cause your Father to shine even brighter, and brighter still as he would wash you with his blood.

In your youth, you loved. So intensely you loved that it was impossible for the rest of the world to ignore. You loved your Father, and you loved each other and you loved everyone else; and for that, everyone else hated you. And when they stoned you, beheaded you, crucified and tortured you simply looked to your father and thanked him that your bloody death could magnify His perfect life. And when you breathed your last before countless others, you filled up what was lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions and so some were able to breathe their first.

In your youth, you lived by faith. Because your Father had promised to lead you and you believed Him. You would walk into the darkest places, speak to the most dangerous people, dine with the most vile. You remembered not to worry about what you would wear, for you saw the lilies of the field. Instead you worked as if you were working for the Lord, waiting for His provision; not storing away in your barns in case He didn't show. You gave to each other whenever you had need. You believed it when your Father promised to provide for you, so you gave unsparingly. You owned nothing, but shared everything, and daily you grew.

But after years of glorious suffering, genuine love, and uninhibited use of the indwelling power; a council was called to formalize, legalize and poison you. The emperor said he had joined you, he said your Father made him a holy conqueror. You believed him. It wasn't long before your trembling, infectious love gave way to complacency in your common parts and in your hands and feet, violence toward the outside world. Where once you pitied, loved and laid your life down for those who didn't know your Father, instead you burned them at the stake, or skewered them on the end of a sword. Where once you sought to become less and your Father to become more, instead you sought gold and political power.

In your aging years, you speak of freedom. Your freedom is a digital projector, a cushioned pew, an expensive sound system, a genuine feeling of superiority over the lesser cultures around you. Your freedom has bound you up, and although you Father still calls out to you to come, you reply, "I can't leave all this behind."

In your aging years, you know who you are. You know what makes you, you. You have tax status, you have corporate accounts, you have an entire industry revolving around you, simply to ensure you stay you. You live in constant fear, not of belittling your Father. No, but of being belittled. That your auditorium seats would become vacant at the hands of the next religious display. You know that if you responded to your Father's call, you'd certainly cease to be who you are.

In your aging years, you are self sufficient. You're leaders know everything popular thought can know; and you follow them. You have worked out your intellect until it's completely empty. Your colleges make men elite, unapproachable, unquestionable, masters of everything divine. You carefully craft conference after conference teaching yourself how to more effectively lead yourself. You're a master mathematician in the art of filling your seats. You know more formulas for enticing people in than you know names for your Father. In your aging years, you don't put unbelieving men to the point of a sword, but the edge of an intellect. Staunch, proud, self-centered and bound up; the rest of the world looks at you and laughs.

In your aging years, you are all but dead. But your Father raised his Son to life, and he can do so with you as well. He calls to you; you must learn how to listen and obey!

Some of the reason exhortation has become so unpopular is that some have used exhortation as a club instead of a loving correction.  That surely doesn't help.  It makes people defensive, not open and transparent - and it shuts down the dynamic of growth.  Love always has to be one of the primary ingredients in the formula (see my post on that issue here).

Another reason exhortation has gone the way of the dinosaur (on second thought, dinosaurs are probably more popular than exhortation) is that our culture has promoted the idea that "Everybody's O.K.  You just have to accept them and not make judgments."  Even the Christian church has fallen into this distorted way of thinking (see my post about this issue here), and it's kept us from being as effective and as influential in the world as we could be.

And there's still another reason that exhortation has disappeared in our churches.  People in general seem to have such a fragile sense of self-worth, it's terrifying to think that someone might point out something about them that is wrong or in need of improvement.  So up go the walls of defensiveness - and a sign us hung outside of our walls which reads, "Keep your opinions to yourself!"

None of that is supposed to characterize the church of God.  Paul said we are to "speak the truth in love" to each other as Christians. (Ephesians 4:15)  He goes on to say that when we do that, the church grows up.  I could be wrong, but it seems to me that that is exactly what the church needs - to grow up!

The loss of this practice of loving exhortation has been devestating to the church.  Yes, you read correctly - devestating!  Instead of having a church that is full of maturing people to whom righteousness matters, we have a church that is full of "stay-out-of-my-business" people who are continuing to live out the same mistakes/sins again and again - because nobody is courageous enough to step in and confront out of love.  When that happens, people begin to get comfortable with their failings, used to their sins, and lose their motivation to do the hard work it takes to change those things.  Afterall, they are doing alright compared to everyone else - right?  But that's where we go wrong - in the end, we're not going to be compared to our fellow strugglers, we're going to be accountable to God for what we've done to uphold His holy standards in our lives.   But we don't bother with that - it's too hard, and we might have to hear something about ourselves that is difficult to handle...

Is that what God wants for His church?  Is that His heart for us, His bride for whom Jesus died?  Not at all!  He wants to see us radiant, alive, vibrant, and holy - a representation of Him in this world of which He can be proud.  He wants us to demonstrate authentic faith by living with each other in unity, in common concern, and in loving exhortation as needed.  He doesn't want us living in fear of each other's reactions!  He wants us loving each other enough to confront and being humble enough to receive a word of encouragement or exhortation.  When the lost world sees a church where loving correction is given AND RECEIVED, and where genuine and lasting life-change is happening as a result, they will begin to take notice.

Some suggestions for rediscovering this lost gift:

1. Ask God to reveal the severity of the problem in your fellowship.  Look around you.  Let yourself be amazed at the lack of real and lasting change you see in your fellow church-goers.  Ask yourself, "Would this be the case if we were lovingly exhorting and helping each other as we should?"
2. Drop your defensiveness (we're all messed up - we have to accept that fact).
3. Open your heart to correction (God loves us just as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way).  God may want to use a word of correction to bring about a world of good in your life - are you able to handle that?
4. Humble yourself before your fellow believers (Give people permission to point out the inconsistencies and weaknesses they see in you).  You can't repent of something you don't see, or are not willing to admit.  Let others help you here.  The accountability will do you good.
5. Respond well when they do.  There's nothing worse than asking for help and then criticizing or attacking those who try to give it.  Be gracious to those who point out your areas of need.  Remember, it was hard enough for them to come to you in the first place.
6. Commit to obeying the Spirit of God, should He guide you to exhort someone else.
7. Prepare for God to do a work.  People's lives can be changed only when they become aware of the areas in need of change.  You may be used of God to do just that.
8. Get ready for the fall-out.  Though you'll have some good responses, you'll have some very bad ones also.  Don't let that stop you from doing what God commands us all to do.  The church will be better for it.