Spiritual Gifts
Part 6
Exhortation
(Encouragement)
First Lesson: Acts 4:32-37
32 The believer group were united in their hearts and spirit. All of them acted like everything they had belonged to everyone in the group. They shared everything.
33 The apostles powerfully told people that the Lord Jesus truly resurrected from the dead. God blessed all the believers very much.
34 Everyone had enough. Sometimes people who owned fields or houses sold them, brought the money, 35 and gave it to the apostles. Then they gave the money to anyone who needed it.
36 One of the believers was named JOSEPH, a Jewish LEVITE born on the island named CYPRUS. The Disciples called him BARNABAS (which means "Encourager").
37 Joseph owned a field, sold it, brought the money, and gave it to the Disciples.
Epistle Lesson: Hebrews 10:23-25
23 Let us hold-tight to that hope that we announce. We can trust God that He will do as He promised.
24 Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good actions.
25 Don’t miss meeting together, as some people do. But you should meet together and encourage each-other. Do that more now because that day Jesus will come back will happen.
Gospel Lesson: John 14:23-27
23 Jesus answered, "If people love me, they will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
24 Those who do not love me do not obey my teaching. This teaching that you hear is not really mine; it is from my Father, who sent me.
25 "I have told you all these things while I am with you.
26 But the Encourager will teach you everything and will help you remember all that I told you. That Helper is the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name.
27 "I leave you peace; my peace I give you. I do not give peace to you as the world does. So don't let your hearts be worried or afraid."
Review:
Spiritual gifts are skills
for doing jobs
that God gives,
for us doing His work,
with His power and skill,
that He leads us,
for serving in Christ's Body, the Church
while Christ does His work on earth
through us.
In the Bible we find three important lists that name various Spiritual gifts:
When we look through those gifts,
we can divide the gifts into two groups
(1) Proclamation [announcing]
communicating God's message by using words)
(2) Serving
Ephesians chapter 4 names 5 proclamation gifts:
Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher,
We finished studying those five.
Romans 12 has one more: EXHORTATION
What does that mean?
The Greek word* for that spiritual gift has various translations,
depending on the context -- the full sentence.
Sometimes that word is translated
preaching
encouraging
counseling
comforting
helping
Spiritual gifts are skills
for doing jobs
that God gives,
for us doing His work,
with His power and skill,
that He leads us,
for serving in Christ's Body, the Church
while Christ does His work on earth
through us.
In the Bible we find three important lists that name various Spiritual gifts:
- Romans 12
- 1 Corinthians 12
- Ephesians 4
When we look through those gifts,
we can divide the gifts into two groups
(1) Proclamation [announcing]
communicating God's message by using words)
(2) Serving
Ephesians chapter 4 names 5 proclamation gifts:
Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher,
We finished studying those five.
Romans 12 has one more: EXHORTATION
What does that mean?
The Greek word* for that spiritual gift has various translations,
depending on the context -- the full sentence.
Sometimes that word is translated
preaching
encouraging
counseling
comforting
helping
*The Greek word for "encourage" is parakeleuo. It is a compound word:
keleuo is a verb meaning "command" (cognate of kaleo = call)
para- is a preposition meaning "with, by, near, along-side-of"
keleuo is a verb meaning "command" (cognate of kaleo = call)
para- is a preposition meaning "with, by, near, along-side-of"
The Greek verb that is the root of this word paints a picture:
The Bible has many examples.
In the Old Testament God sent prophets.
They encouraged people to turn back to God.
Those prophets were God's representatives.
They were advocates for God.
They encouraged and counseled the people.
In the New Testament we meet a man whose name means
"Son of Encouragement" ... Barnabas.
His real name was Joseph, but the Christians in Jerusalem named him Barnabas, because God gave him this gift strongly. [Acts 4:36-37]
When Paul converted to Christ,
the Christians in Jerusalem refused to accept him
because they didn't trust him.
They were afraid that Paul was only acting,
that he was a fake Christian.
But Barnabas met with Paul and listened to his story.
Barnabas could see and feel that Paul told the truth,
so Barnabas accepted Paul as a brother in Christ.
The Barnabas took Paul to the other believers.
Barnabas advocated for Paul,
encouraging the other Christians to welcome Paul
into their fellowship. [Acts 9:1-28]
During his life, Barnabas encouraged, mentored, and trained
other Christian workers. [Acts 11:19-26; 15:36-40]
What is most interesting is that name, that title
advocate, encourager, counselor
belongs to Jesus Christ Himself.
1st John 2:1 says:
In the Old Testament God sent prophets.
They encouraged people to turn back to God.
Those prophets were God's representatives.
They were advocates for God.
They encouraged and counseled the people.
In the New Testament we meet a man whose name means
"Son of Encouragement" ... Barnabas.
His real name was Joseph, but the Christians in Jerusalem named him Barnabas, because God gave him this gift strongly. [Acts 4:36-37]
When Paul converted to Christ,
the Christians in Jerusalem refused to accept him
because they didn't trust him.
They were afraid that Paul was only acting,
that he was a fake Christian.
But Barnabas met with Paul and listened to his story.
Barnabas could see and feel that Paul told the truth,
so Barnabas accepted Paul as a brother in Christ.
The Barnabas took Paul to the other believers.
Barnabas advocated for Paul,
encouraging the other Christians to welcome Paul
into their fellowship. [Acts 9:1-28]
During his life, Barnabas encouraged, mentored, and trained
other Christian workers. [Acts 11:19-26; 15:36-40]
What is most interesting is that name, that title
advocate, encourager, counselor
belongs to Jesus Christ Himself.
1st John 2:1 says:
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate* with the Father -- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
That is the N.I.V. translation. The N.I.R.V. translates that verse into clear English, that shows us that same picture:
My dear children, I'm writing this to you so that you will not sin. But suppose [if] someone does sin. Then we have one who speaks to the Father for us. He stands up for us. He is Jesus Christ, the Blameless One. He gave his life to pay for our sins. But he not only paid for our sins. He also paid for the sins of the whole world.
Romans 8 says:
What should we say then? Since God is on our side, who can be against us? God did not spare [save] his own Son. He gave him up for us all. Then won't he also freely give us everything else? Who can bring any charge [blame] against God's chosen ones? God makes us right with himself. Who can sentence [punish] us to death? Christ Jesus is at the right hand of God and is also praying for us. He died. More than that, he was raised to life. [Romans 8:33-34 NIrV]
Can you see that?
Jesus is our representative,
our advocate,
our lawyer in heaven's court room.
Jesus speaks to the Father for us,
offering His own death on the cross
so we can live and go free.
One more surprise:
While Jesus is our Advocate to the Father,
Jesus also has an advocate,
someone who represents Him,
and speak for Him....
to whom?
Us!
The night before Jesus died, He told His Disciples:
Jesus is our representative,
our advocate,
our lawyer in heaven's court room.
Jesus speaks to the Father for us,
offering His own death on the cross
so we can live and go free.
One more surprise:
While Jesus is our Advocate to the Father,
Jesus also has an advocate,
someone who represents Him,
and speak for Him....
to whom?
Us!
The night before Jesus died, He told His Disciples:
"If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate* to help you and be with you forever -- the Spirit of truth." [John 14: 15-16 NIV]
"All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate,* the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." [John 14: 25-26 NIV]
"When the Advocate* comes, whom I will send to you from the Father -- the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father -- he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning." [John 15:26-27 NIV]
"But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. If I don't go away, the Advocate* will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." [John 16:7]
"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now understand. But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own... He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you." [John 16:12-13]
Notice that Jesus said that
same as the Holy Spirit tells us about Christ,
we also must go
and tell the world about Christ.
God gives us that service.
that work.
that gift.
to Represent Him to one-another.
advocating for Him.
When we do that one-on-one in private conversation
we call that "counseling."
When we do that for a large group,
we call that "preaching."
You maybe feel that you don't have that gift, that skill,
but one thing you can do, with the Holy Spirit guiding you:
You can encourage each-other to walk with Christ.
same as the Holy Spirit tells us about Christ,
we also must go
and tell the world about Christ.
God gives us that service.
that work.
that gift.
to Represent Him to one-another.
advocating for Him.
When we do that one-on-one in private conversation
we call that "counseling."
When we do that for a large group,
we call that "preaching."
You maybe feel that you don't have that gift, that skill,
but one thing you can do, with the Holy Spirit guiding you:
You can encourage each-other to walk with Christ.