Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #24432 - Spiritual Gifts - Gift of Exhortation - Acts 6:1-6 & Romans 12:6-8

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#24432 - Spiritual Gifts - Gift of Exhortation - Acts 6:1-6 & Romans 12:6-8 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's word with pastor and author.
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Ed, Taylor recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora,
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Colorado to learn more about the many resources available,
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through abounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream
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Services. Visit us online at Calvary, Co
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dot church or download our free Calvary Church app.
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Now, here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
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Amen. Amen, take your Bibles.
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Would you open them the Romans chapter 12?
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If this is your first Sunday here.
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Welcome! We are in the middle of looking
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at the seven primary spiritual gifts.
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In the Book of Romans chapter 12, which we're in a verse by
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verse study in the book of Acts, and we've paused and Acts
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chapter 6 for this time of equipping, because we want to be
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equipped to step into people's lives, so that we might be the
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church. It's not an option.
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Well, it's not an option, whether you like, well, maybe I
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want to be the church. I kind of know you are the
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church so that it's God's will for you to be the church in a
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culture that desperately needs the church so important that you
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grasp that. And when you do, when you grasp
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the significance of the purpose for your life, it just opens up
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all these vistas of joy and happiness and usefulness.
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And one of the ways we learn how to be used by, God is learning
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the spiritual gifts, their seven primary spiritual Gifts,
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mentioned in Romans 12, and we are coming today to the fourth
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gift, the gift of exhortation. Now, when Paul was writing to
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the church in Ephesus to the Ephesians, he mentions to them
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in action, in Ephesians chapter 2 that we are saved by grace and
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grace alone, and that we are his workmanship.
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We are his workmanship, there's a Greek word for that.
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It's the Greek word poema and it's where we get our English
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word poem and it opens up an Of God's work in our lives.
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As he lays out in a very with like, like it's better to think
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of it. They a very creative handiwork
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of God. That's unique.
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I mean, anyone that's in two poems, you know, some of them
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can be very interesting. Some can be very hard to
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understand. Most of them are very beautiful
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and as God is working that through our lives.
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He is, he is still at work, he's not done right now.
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I can say that with absolute Authority.
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God is not done. Done with your life.
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And you say, well, how do you know that?
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I know because you're still alive, you're breathing here
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right now and it's too bad that this truth has become kind of
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bumper sticker theology because when something becomes a bumper
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sticker, then it gets minimized and people don't pay attention
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to it anymore. It kind of becomes cliche but
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you know you've probably seen the bumper sticker.
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That goes something along the lines of God is not finished
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with me yet. Well that is absolutely true.
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It's not an excuse for bad driving.
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It's a truth for you to submit The Lord, like, he's not
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finished with you, yet. There's still much to be done.
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There's still much to be removed, there's still much to
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be added into your lives and he's not done.
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You are his workmanship, his poem, he is actively involved in
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your lives and the way that you can look for God's activity is
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in the spiritual gift that you have.
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Now, everyone has been given at least one of these seven primary
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spiritual gifts, but many of you operate in much of them.
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I mean, there could even be the rare person that's been operates
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in all seven of them. And that's a beautiful and
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wonderful. I certainly see many of them
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active in my life over the years, and I'm grateful for
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that. And so by way of review, as you
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know, your spiritual gift so far.
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Number one, we have studied the gift of Prophecy.
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So, let's just notice real quickly here.
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Romans chapter fell pick up in verse 6.
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Let's read them together. It says having then gifts,
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Differing. According to the grace that is
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given to us, let us use them. If prophecy, let us prophesy in
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proportion to our faith or Ministry, let us use it in are
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ministering, he who exhorts in exhortation.
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He who gives in liberality, he who leads with diligence.
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And he, who shows Mercy with cheerfulness, let love be
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without hypocrisy. The first one prophecy.
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We learned that that is a verbal gift and we defined it as
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declaring the truth, declaring, the truth God has given some men
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and women in the church. The supernatural ability to take
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his word and cause it to shine. Secondly, we looked at the gift,
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the nonverbal gift of ministry, or sometimes, we refer to that,
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as the gift of service, this gift we learn is practicing the
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truth, and God has given some men and women in the church.
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The supernatural. Ready to serve and to serve and
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to serve some more. Thirdly, we studied the verbal
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gift of teaching, this gift. We learned is explaining the
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truth. So you have declaring practicing
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explaining, God has given some men and women in the church, the
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supernatural ability to teach the Bible in a way that it can
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be understood in its meaning, but also understood on how it
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applies to our lives, which brings us to the fourth gift
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today. We're going to follow.
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The same pattern. We're going to Define it.
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We're going to look at it operating in the life of Jesus.
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We're going to see it operating in the early church and then
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we'll look at some hazards. And today I have bonus for you.
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I have some tips on how to use this give because it's so
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important. So number one, what's the
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definition? The definition.
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This is a verbal gift just like teaching.
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It's a verbal gift and it can be defined as applying the truth.
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So the gift of exhortation, has an emphasis upon application
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where Teaching explains what things mean.
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The gift of exhortation applies, this particular truth.
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So to exhort is the Greek word parakletos or different versions
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of it, it's the same word you'll recall.
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Jesus used to describe the comforter, the Holy Spirit, it
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means to come alongside and help the word.
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Exhort is means to strengthen to encourage and to comfort.
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And the idea is to come alongside someone to help them
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God. Has given some men and women in
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the church. The supernatural ability to help
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people. Apply the truth of God's word in
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their everyday living. And so the gift of exhortation
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is often expressed as this is what the Bible says, but this is
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what it looks like active in your life and applied in your
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life, And how we need more of this gift flowing, how we needed
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to be practice in the church today.
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One of the ways you can look at this, gift is in the realm of
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discipleship. This is a key gift for those
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that like to emphasize discipleship.
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Now a disciple by definition is a learner.
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And so the process of discipleship is to take the
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Bible and help someone learn what it means to follow Jesus.
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And so it does. Blur someone, who teaches you,
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the things about the Lord and this gift is often active in the
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realm of discipling. And mentoring, you might hear
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that word mentoring, someone that we've give you advice and
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Lead You. Now, let me just pause here for
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a second and and and let you in on inside how I've seen the
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world, kind of creep into the church that we need to be very
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careful of and that is this great emphasis on mentors, like
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it's almost like you hear some people.
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You got to have a mentor. You got to have a mentor if you
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don't have a mentor. There's something wrong with you
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can I just declare to you today. Both you and the room.
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You guys watching downstairs, watching online.
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Listening on the radio. You do not need a mentor.
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You have the Holy Spirit of God living in you.
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Here's what you need. You need to read the Bible for
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every day and Obey it. You don't need a mentor.
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Emphasis on mentoring. Put you in a very vulnerable
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place. It puts you in a vulnerable
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place because Now the mentor takes a place in place of Jesus
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in your life. Now it may be subtle.
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It could be someone that wants to take advantage of you but
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this idea of you need a mentor, you need a mentor, you don't
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need a mentor, read your Bible every day, pray obey, the Bible.
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And what you might need is you may not need a mint or you may
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just need a Christian friend. Some of the can just walk
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alongside of you because with mentoring is also this whole
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thing of a cow. Accountability.
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It's such a big deal for like the last 10 to 15 years.
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Got to have accountability Partners got people in your life
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or accountability. You don't need accountability
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partner. You need to obey God.
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That's what you need. And you're like, oh, and I'm not
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liking the message so far. I don't understand what in the
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world that has to do with exhorting.
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Well, as I sell, this was kind of laid on my heart last night
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for us as a church. So I'm bringing it to you today
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but it's not in my notes. It just felt like I felt like
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the Lord was wanting us to Understand that we are putting
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people in the place of God where they don't belong.
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They don't belong. Now, let's just be careful here.
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Lest I be misunderstood, or even misquoted.
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I'm not opposed to the idea of someone helping you learn.
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I'm not opposed to the idea of someone checking in on you and
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holding you accountable to areas of your life.
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But what I am opposed of is these positions that have been
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created that sound like you have to have them or you're not going
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to be a good Christian, it's not true, not only that but having
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that extra layer not now, you kind of blame other people for
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your own behavior. Well, you know, if I just had an
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accountability partner, then I wouldn't, that's not true.
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Like, you can have a thousand accountability partners and
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anybody that's ever held anyone accountable to anything
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understand this, it is very easy to lie.
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It's very easy to life call. Hey, how you doing, brother?
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How you doing with that sin? I'm doing fine.
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Well, you're good chance. You're lying to me, you know,
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and then you blow up down down the road because you didn't even
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use the tools that were available, Available to you.
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We do this in a small wig already.
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We do this in a small way, you're having a bad day had a
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bad week but you want to be in church so you come kind of put
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on a smile. And then out in the foyer you
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don't even know someone. They come to you and say, hey,
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how you doing? And what do you say?
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Well, I'm fine liar, you're not fine, but I know what you don't
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want to deal with it, you didn't come to talk to anybody.
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You had a hard week, you just want to worship.
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You were hoping. Nobody would see you.
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And so, you're just there, there's a lot of reasons for
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that but it was still alive. Why?
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And it's very easy to lie. I'm not opposed to
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accountability. I'm not opposed to even the idea
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of someone teaching and leading you, I'm opposed to having that
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person in a position that limits you.
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From depending upon the Lord, you have the spirit of God in
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you dwelling in you, you're born again.
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You are a new creation in Christ.
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Old things have passed away, behold.
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All things have become new as a Believer.
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I've been crucified with Christ. It's no longer I who live but it
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is Christ who lives in me and the life that I now live.
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I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave
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himself for me. You have everything you need in
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Christ to have a successful strong relationship with the
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Lord. I don't want you taking
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advantage of. I don't want people because
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that's what's happening in the last couple years.
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Like the last couple years have made people wander all over the
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place and now they're following like just the weirdest teachings
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coming from the weirdest places because they stumbled on this
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YouTube video or this thing over here.
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And they don't even know the character the nature of this
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person, but they're weird tea. Teachings are now something
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there into because they needed somebody like that.
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You don't what you need is a good Christian friend, good
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Fellowship. How did the early church?
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Stay accountable. How did they stay so strong?
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When Acts 2:42, it says that they continued steadfastly in
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the apostles Doctrine and in fellowship, and in the breaking
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of bread, it says later on in Chapter 2, they went from house
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to house talking and here's, here's the essence.
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As we get to this, I got a couple more points and I'll
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explain to you why this came out, I think.
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In the life of the church, we have all these categories and
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things that people say we need and they're all replacing what
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we really need and that's love. Love will lead you to call
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someone and check in on them. Love, will have you show up at
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the door with a meal with a family?
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That's hurting? Love, will give you a heart of
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compassion and care and concern. So that you will teach or lead
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or help or learn GT, is said that what we need is to love the
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Lord God with all our heart, soul and mind and then we'll
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love our neighbor. And these are layers of the
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church world and the church business and all that nonsense.
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Have taken us away from the Simplicity of the gospel and the
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Simplicity of the Gospel is love.
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And you know what? If you love God, you have no
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need for accountability because when you love God, use you hate
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sin and you stay away from it and you live an honest,
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forthright light. The Bible says that we are to
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walk in the light as he is in the light and when we do that we
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have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ
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cleanses us from all sin. And the reason I believe part of
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not only for the instruction purposes.
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But the reason why I think Think this came out is because what
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you just experienced was the gift of exhortation.
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It was in a very uncomfortable application of the Bible for
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your life and even some of you are ready.
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I know I'm going to get emails but if you have any complaints
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about my if you have anything good to say, my email is Ed Ed,
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Ed Taylor dot-org. If you have anything bad to say,
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It's Ian at Calvary Co dot church.
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He loves these cunning email, so I'm sure I'll get emails but I
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don't care. It doesn't matter to me.
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You can express yourself. You can be mad at me.
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You can be defensive. I just want you right with the
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Lord. So if you responded me, if you
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respond to this exhortation, if it makes you uncomfortable,
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good. Because God is calling you to a
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higher level, he wants you to be somebody, you're not right now.
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He is growing you in the potential, he has for you.
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The plans and purposes. He has for your life there for
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good. Not evil.
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God wants to give you a future and a hope.
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And if it takes a little bit of stirring up and making you
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uncomfortable, good respond to it by surrender to the Lord
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respond to it by being a man or a woman of love.
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And even as you experience the gift, you can see how
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uncomfortable it can be when you receive an application, it's
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hard because there's two complementary parts to this
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gift. There is the side of X order.
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That's a comfort and who doesn't like Comfort?
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We all if you're a comforter come my I weigh comfort me,
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caught on me, take care of me, I love Comfort, but the flip side
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of that coin is when you give a word to help someone sometimes
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the help hurts. And so there are always those
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that will come and lift us up encouragement, that's important.
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We need that. Keep doing that.
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If you, if that's how God has made you how you exercise the
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give it like an exhortation by being a comforter.
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We need you, but there are so not just those that lifts us up.
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We also need those that will move us on.
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We get stagnant, what? We just don't move or we even
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worse. We regress and the Lord will
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send somebody. You start going backwards, you
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start regressing. God will send someone to you
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too. Sometimes, it's gentle nudging,
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sometimes it's hard difficult, but nonetheless, it's still from
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God. So a person with the gift of
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exhortation loves people, they love being around people, you
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could call them. A people person, we all know,
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folks like that, they love encouraging, they love
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one-on-one times, they love to be together with the people to
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pour into them eggs. Orders are typically people that
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are available, they seem to always be available.
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They Steve always ready to meet with you.
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They sometimes they even dropped important things that relate to
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them, so that they might meet with you eggs orders, have a
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god-given ability to see potential in people that others
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would ordinary ordinarily overlooked.
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They have a tendency to see what can be in a person's life.
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Overemphasizing instead of emphasizing where a person is in
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the moment. Eggs orders are generally
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sensitive to other people's feelings and are often very
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careful and thoughtful and what they say and how they choose to
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present the truth in a given situation.
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Exhorter is have the ability to look past the outward that might
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offend others and see problems and people's lives.
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And then have this automatic desire to sacrificially, want to
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help them solve it with the Word of God.
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I see this happen a lot after even after a service where
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they'll be folks that come up and we're praying.
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And some folks would just be so beat up because they had a bad
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week at that had a bad month and if I know them and I think of
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one brother in particular to have been serving for many years
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now, you know, he just have a bad week or even have a bad
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month and will come up and we'll pray and, and I always need to
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remind him and I do, I said, I know it's hard man and I know
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it's difficult and I know you feel like you should be farther
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than than you are. I know what bro, you got to
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remember how you walked into this church.
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You are not the same man, you are not that person.
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And so the exhorter is have a tendency to go.
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I know it's bad right now. I get it.
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But man, look how far you've come.
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And if God has brought you this far then, don't you think he's
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going to seal the deal and finish it all the way until the
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coming of Jesus. And that's a gift of in
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exhorter. God will impress that upon your
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life instead of, you know, an exhorter doesn't say, I can't
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believe you're Always a failure. Why are we always praying about
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this? I can't believe like that's not
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exhorting. That's flesh.
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Stop it. Don't do that instead.
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Encourage and strengthen often this gift and this is an
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important distinction. Often this gift is confused with
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the gift of teaching. The gift of exhortation is not
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the gift of teaching. They can operate together, but
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they're two very distinct gifts, people with the gift of
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exhortation. You may sometimes have a word or
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have an application for a larger group of people.
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But it's very uncommon. This is almost always activated
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and used on a personal relational and it's more
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application, you're not. So and you're not so keen on
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explaining every little detail. But you are the person with the
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gift of exhortation, is more. How not the what?
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The emphasis for exhortation is how and it's not just how it's
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how it is for you individually. And personally, how did this
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gift operate in? Jesus will like the gift of
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teaching. We're on point number two.
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Like the gift of teaching. This was all throughout the life
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of Jesus. For example, all of Matthew 23
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is the gift of exhortation. Those of you familiar, with
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Matthew 23, remember this time Jesus took away to rebuke the
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religious leaders. So X or Station came forward in
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the form of rebuke, you guys are doing it wrong, but this is how
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to get it right? You're doing it wrong but this
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is how to get it, right? He does this at the end of the
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Bible to turn over to Revelation with me.
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Would you would you Revelation chapter 2?
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Revelation Chapter 2 in these final words, These posted notes,
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if you will to the churches, the seven churches in Revelation, we
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see a couple of examples of this.
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In Revelation Chapter 2. Jesus is speaking to the church
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in the city of Ephesus, and he starts in verse 2.
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I know your works. I know your labor, your
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patience, verse 3, you persevered labored for my
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namesake and then verse 4, nevertheless.
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So up to verse 4, it's more explanation more encouragement.
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But now he says, nevertheless, here's the exhortation.
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He says, I have this against you, you have left your First
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Love. Now, if you were a teacher
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that's your gifting, you would then begin to explain how they
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left their first love. You did this.
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You did this, you did this. You did this.
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This is how you left your first love.
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This is what it looks like, but he doesn't do that.
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He gives them the Insight. How to get back.
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Hey, you left your first love. This is how you apply that, you
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got to get back and that's what he says, verse 5.
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Remember therefore from where you have fallen repent and do
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the the first work. So I'll come to you quickly.
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He's exhorting them and he's giving them the way back the
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application. He does it.
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Again in chapter 3, notice with me, this one's heavy.
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This one's a heavier one, Revelation chapter 3 to the
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church, in the city of Sardis. He says, in verse 1.
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These things says, he who has the seven spirits of God.
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The Seven Stars. I know your works and then
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here's the exhortation. You have a name that you're
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alive, but you're dead. Now, how would you like to hear
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that? Well be very hard to hear.
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Except I think you would want to hear it.
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If you've been living a hypocritical hypocritical life
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and you thought it was okay, you would want hope you would want
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somebody to come and say what you're doing is wrong.
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It looks like you're alive, but I know God says, I know that
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you're dead. And then he gives the way out.
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He says remember therefore, what you received and heard hold
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fast? Repent.
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Therefore if you want watch, I'll come to you as a thief and
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you won't know the hour that I come upon you.
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This is a deep Ministry. I would go so far as to say that
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this is one of the primary reasons before besides the
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sovereignty in the Providence of God, this is the one of the
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primary relatable reasons of why they killed him.
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They did not like his xox or tations.
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He was done. They were Done with it.
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They didn't want to hear it anymore.
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They needed to remove him in order to continue on with their
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sinful ways. What did it operate in the early
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church? Thirdly, well, turnover would
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you to Acts chapter 4? There was a brother and the
22:35
church that he was so filled with this gift that they named
22:38
him. That isn't that amazing?
22:40
Like the his name became exactly what this gift is Acts chapter
22:44
4. You Bible students already know.
22:47
We're talking about the man by the name of Barnabas and he was
22:51
just such a great encouragement. He was such a parakletos to the
22:55
early church that it says. In verse 36 that Joseph whose
22:59
name also was Barnabas by the apostles, which is translated
23:04
son of encouragement. He was such an encouragement and
23:07
exhorter that they gave him that name so everyone can remember.
23:11
And remember he was an encourager not just by his
23:13
words, but also by his actions, Because it was I believe when he
23:18
sold his property and such a prominent gift to the early
23:21
church and such a desire to help that it inspired ananias and
23:25
Sapphira to do the same thing. Except of course, they did it
23:28
with a way where they lied and tried to pull a fast, one on the
23:31
apostles and on God himself and it didn't work.
23:34
But he was an encouragement. And exhortation comes primarily
23:38
with the mouth but occasionally with the life but you know, all
23:43
the Bible writers had exhortation.
23:46
In their writings, I think of I think if there was one guy in
23:50
the New Testament, that was an exhorter would have to be Paul
23:54
the Apostle. He was an exhorter in his
23:58
letters. Most of his letters, I think,
24:00
with the exception of Romans and Hebrews fit divided, nicely into
24:04
two sections, the first section usually is very doctrinal.
24:08
Very, very informational. This is who God is, this is who
24:12
got what he said, this is his character, his nature Then the
24:16
second half of the book, very applicational, very exhort of
24:20
very in like here's where here's here's God and here's your
24:24
response to God, this is who he is, and this is what God expects
24:28
from you, and he was just an exhorter.
24:30
I think, you know, Hebrews and Galatians are probably the most
24:32
exhorted books in the whole Bible.
24:34
I mean, I want you to consider what Paul just remember what
24:37
Paul said to the Galatians, Paul asked them, he said, who has
24:42
Bewitched you, imagine that your Cheerleaders, writing you a
24:46
letter and go. What is your problem?
24:49
What's happened to you? Why are you listening to them?
24:52
Why are you following them? It's compared to you like being
24:55
under a spell, what's happened to you?
24:58
Those are strong words to hear but listen.
25:02
You and I need to hear strong words.
25:06
You won't grow any other way. It's you won't survive on a diet
25:10
of strong words. I mean, it'll discourage you and
25:12
beat you up at times. So you don't have a constant
25:16
continual flow of them but if your friends don't tell you the
25:19
truth, if your church doesn't tell you the truth, if your
25:22
pastor doesn't tell you the truth, then who in the world is
25:25
going to tell you the truth about your line.
25:28
Who will you listen to? Who will you receive from?
25:31
Who will you Somebody to give you a hard word and instead of
25:34
being all defensive about it you pray and ask God to give you
25:38
wisdom. You just pray, maybe it's right,
25:41
maybe it's wrong. Sometimes people with the gift
25:43
of exhortation, they deliver it wrong.
25:46
That's possible. They just deliver it wrong.
25:48
Certainly, that has been something that has been a part
25:51
of my life from the beginning. I, I've seen this gift activated
25:54
in my life from being a new believer.
25:56
But man, I mean, I made I made and I make so many mistakes with
26:00
it. I want to do What's right?
26:02
But I've got to learn to do, what's right?
26:04
And one of the only ways to learn it is to do it and fail
26:09
and get back up and do it and fail and get back up.
26:13
So you learned that dependence upon the Lord, Paul was a great.
26:18
Great exhorter. I think a James he was a great
26:20
exhorter. Remember in his letter I mean he
26:23
had some hard things to say, Jose faith without works is
26:26
dead. You say, you have faith will
26:28
show me by your works. Well, if you're a guy that's
26:31
walking around, I have faith and have no good works.
26:33
That would be a hard thing to hear.
26:35
So you show me your Works. What do you mean show?
26:37
You works and I think of the other exhortation that comes to
26:41
mind in James where he tells a church and may the God lord
26:45
never have to tell us this, but he tells a church, don't you
26:48
show partiality straight up and what was their partiality?
26:53
They were treating rich people better than poor people and he
26:57
goes, don't you do that? I don't even know why you're in
26:59
that area, you don't tell the poor people to sit on the floor.
27:02
Floor and the rich people get the good chairs like you take
27:04
care of everyone as they are blood, bought by Jesus himself
27:09
and you don't show partiality. Well I mean that would be a hard
27:11
word to receive especially if you're prejudiced.
27:15
Especially if you look down on people, that would be a hard
27:18
word. Why?
27:18
Because it's an exhort of word, it's a word to move you on move,
27:23
you on finally. Let's look at some of the
27:24
hazards, some of the hazards, some of the difficulties in no
27:28
particular order. We've looked at the definition,
27:31
we've seen it in the life of Jesus.
27:32
See it in the early church, here are some things to watch out for
27:35
number one. If you have the gift of
27:37
exhortation, you may be easily discouraged or often
27:44
discouraged. Because those are trying to help
27:47
won't listen to you. And so what do you try to do?
27:51
Help them more and what are they do?
27:53
They don't listen to you and it can hurt.
27:56
It can be very painful. You're trying to encourage
27:59
you're trying to help. You're just doing what you
28:02
believe, God's called you to do. And it can be very discouraging
28:06
when people don't listen to you and you're just exercising, your
28:10
spiritual gift can be very discouraging when people start
28:13
to avoid you. And who you thought were
28:17
friends. Don't want to be your friends
28:18
anymore. You go why?
28:20
Well, because I don't like what you say.
28:21
We don't like what I say. What did I say?
28:23
It was wrong. Oh, you didn't say anything
28:25
wrong. I just don't like it and it can
28:27
be very discouraging to be very discouraging where people start
28:30
to avoid, you know, people can, I mean, II Pastors in particular
28:36
pastors? And in particular, I've watched
28:37
over the years serving here, unit in California, as I go
28:40
back, I'm always going back to memories there and, and I watch
28:44
people that were walking with the Wants and they're not
28:46
walking anymore walking with the Lord.
28:48
Now they're often to other stuff and there some are even saying
28:50
they're atheists, just whore. And I remember a time where
28:53
there's a brother here that got into something, got really mad
28:56
at me. We left and ended up back
28:57
slightly and just and I remember it hit me so hard, I was so
29:02
discouraged and I'll tell you why I was sitting there just
29:06
thinking about it. I'm like God if this is the
29:09
result of my 10 years of teaching and discipleship, I
29:13
mean everything I poured Into this guy at my Resort is him
29:16
walking away from you. Then I'm doing the wrong thing.
29:20
I'm doing the right, I shouldn't be doing this because in my mind
29:23
that you're certain happen, but it does.
29:26
And you got to work through the discouragement because in one
29:29
way, in a big way, we're not responsible for other people's
29:32
decisions and their Rebellion because it's like, it's like
29:36
Elijah. Elijah went through the same
29:37
thing. Biblically, you know, Elijah has
29:39
a great Victory on Mount Carmel, and if you go to Israel with us,
29:42
we'll go up to the area. Mama will be standing on Mount
29:44
Carmel. Right?
29:45
Where the in the area where the victory took place, and there is
29:48
victory over the all the prophets of Baal and then at the
29:51
accusation and the threat from Jezebel, he runs away hides in
29:55
the cave and is so discouraged. Woe is me, there's nobody here.
29:59
I'm the only one, there's nobody there.
30:02
And what does God do? He comes?
30:03
He encourages Elijah's could look bro, I don't know if that's
30:06
how he used, what language he used.
30:07
But I was like, hey look, bro, you're not the only one around
30:09
here. There's thousands of people that
30:11
I have reserved. You just get up and get back
30:14
into business kid. Back on what I called you to do.
30:16
And that's what Elijah did. And we're grateful because we
30:18
learn from that, we notice like to be discouraged and we know
30:21
like, what it's like to get back up.
30:23
I think of Samuel, he was discouraged as well, because you
30:26
remember that time in Samuel's life, the nation of Israel said,
30:29
we do not want you to lead us anymore.
30:31
Neither we don't want your kids either.
30:33
And for good reason, their kids kids weren't walking with the
30:35
Lord. So we don't want you anymore but
30:37
that hit Samuel in the heart. And he got all beat up and
30:42
discouraged. He's like man they're rejecting
30:45
me. They're rejecting me and
30:46
remember God. He hears that he says no no
30:48
Samuel. They're not rejecting.
30:51
You. God says they're rejecting me.
30:57
And here you are paying the price and the brunt of it, you
30:59
can get discouraged. Number two, Someone with the
31:03
gift of exhortation can easily overextend yourself.
31:07
This is very similar to The Gift of service where you can
31:10
overextend yourself. You need to learn the word.
31:14
No, let me give it to you in another language.
31:16
No, I know three languages. Did you know that?
31:19
No, here's a fourth language. Not know.
31:24
You need to learn the word, no, without feeling guilty about it,
31:27
because you're always available because you care for people,
31:30
because God has used you to help people.
31:33
You can be overly available and that can lead you to neglect
31:37
your own home, your own marriage, your own, singleness
31:40
your own personal walk, and that is not from the Lord, you need
31:43
to learn to say, no at appropriate times.
31:45
Number three, you can also in danger of this with someone with
31:49
the gift of exhortation can be overwhelmed easily by All of the
31:54
needs and one of the reasons is because you see the needs that
31:58
other people don't see. You just have this spiritual
32:02
ability to see problems and issues and needs.
32:06
Not only the present problem. But you know, if they don't
32:09
correct this, it's going to get worse and it just overwhelms you
32:12
some some of you you get so overwhelmed by problems that
32:15
there are times you don't even watch the news anymore because
32:18
it really affects you. When you sees a story on the
32:21
homeless, you don't think of it politically.
32:23
You don't think of it. All you can automatically you
32:25
wonder if they've eaten anything and it overwhelms.
32:27
You you see the kids on the streets?
32:29
You, how can they live? Like that.
32:31
What is it going to happen? And how can I help them and
32:34
their seasons in your life? Where you just can't take it and
32:37
say like okay, I can't do everything.
32:39
We have to remember this gift of service.
32:42
I mean really, really any of the gifts.
32:44
We can't do everything. But we can do something.
32:49
And this gift kind of works with mercy and service.
32:52
You see them all as we get to, when we finish all the gifts,
32:54
you'll see all intertwined. So many of them are but it's
32:57
easy to get overwhelmed with all the needs.
32:59
You just gotta learn to trust in the Lord and do what you can.
33:02
Number four, another big danger of this is that in your
33:07
exhortation, in your ministry to others that you lack
33:10
confidentiality. We've been doing a lot of
33:13
interviews here. Lately as it steams changing,
33:15
and lots of people are Running our team now and I talked about
33:19
this as the final interview we have a long conversation about a
33:23
lot of different topics, but one very important topic is
33:25
confidentiality confidentiality is absolutely necessary in every
33:30
trust is the foundation of every relationship, especially in the
33:34
church. And so confidentiality is very
33:37
important. It's important to keep things in
33:40
confidence that need to be kept in confidence.
33:42
And why is this important with the gift of exhortation?
33:44
I'll tell you why. When your Touring is someone in
33:47
a crisis? You may get something in a
33:49
moment that they've never told anyone else.
33:52
Their whole lives. And they're trusting you with it
33:56
and they're trusting with you at the expectation that you will
33:58
not tell anyone else you will not Tony, you will not break
34:02
their trust. They gave you that information
34:05
so you could help them not so you could hurt them.
34:08
And it's very easy that you start talking about, you start
34:10
giving and you break confidentiality and it's just a
34:13
very, very difficult thing. You once you lose someone's It's
34:17
very hard to get it back. Not impossible, just very hard
34:20
now, of course you keep things in confidence that can be kept
34:23
in confidence. Like, for example, if somebody
34:26
confesses something that's illegal, you don't keep that
34:28
like you come and go and I just want to let, you know, I've had
34:30
a hard week. Well what happened?
34:32
Well you know I robbed a bank last week.
34:34
Did you tie? Now I'm just kidding.
34:36
I didn't, I wanted? That's not my first question,
34:38
that's not my first question, not at all, but if you confess
34:43
that you robbed a bank, we're going to call the cops.
34:45
We're going to do it gently. We're going to let you know,
34:47
hey, I can't not going to keep that in confidence.
34:49
We need to, we need to, you're confessing this.
34:52
We, anything that relates to a child, any kind of accusation of
34:56
abuse molestation. Don't know.
34:57
We don't keep we don't have this false vow of confidentiality.
35:00
What would keep them? We will do, what's best and
35:03
honorable, and right before the Lord, for sure.
35:06
But most things confidential trust is the foundation of every
35:10
relationship, even more. So in the church.
35:13
And so, sometimes in this gift, Exhortation.
35:16
There's just this Insight God gives you on someone's life but
35:19
it's not to be broadcast. It's for the sake of serving and
35:22
maybe another danger number five and this is a big one.
35:26
The gift of exhortation you have to be very careful that you
35:28
don't give your opinions. Instead of the word of God, your
35:33
opinions because God uses you and you've seen God use you.
35:37
You may begin to think that you're the one that matters and
35:41
it's your opinions and your and this is another way that That
35:45
the world has snuck into the church where now we all talk
35:48
about. Well, you know, I'm an expert in
35:51
that and then you just like yeah, you know, your expert.
35:55
I don't know if I don't know if I'm the only one that's ever
35:58
going to tell you this, but let me tell you you are not the
36:00
expert in anything. God has all knowledge, he's the
36:05
expert. And so we need to go to him for
36:08
fresh wisdom and insight. This is especially important
36:12
within the church because as you're ministering to people,
36:14
let's just You say, you would come to me and say, but at I'm
36:17
the expert in marriage counseling, I'm an expert.
36:20
I've been training in, I got my PhD in it and I've done it in
36:23
the church for all these years. I'm the expert, you're not the
36:26
expert, you don't know everything there is to know
36:29
about marriage problems, you don't.
36:30
Neither do I? I have no idea.
36:32
You came to me right now and said my marriage is a mess.
36:35
I have no idea how to help you. That's not to say that God might
36:39
not reveal some things to share with you as we talk, but I have
36:42
no idea. I'm not the expert and Even if
36:45
you go will add, this is the situation.
36:47
Me and my wife XYZ, I like, oh no.
36:49
Oh, I've dealt with this a hundred times.
36:52
I know, I have no idea. I need you to talk to me.
36:57
I need to listen to you. I need to ask the holy spirit
37:00
for wisdom. And this happens, a lot in the
37:03
church where people go around like their experts and they're
37:06
not expert. That's a whole mentoring thing,
37:08
and I'm the expert on the only one.
37:10
No, we don't lean on our own understanding church.
37:13
And here's the big Revelation, I think the biggest thing that God
37:16
really needs, like we really need to hear that he needs to
37:18
tell us this. Nobody cares about your opinion.
37:23
And we actually live in a culture right now that not many
37:25
people care about the Bible either.
37:27
But I'm telling you, if you have a choice of sharing your opinion
37:30
and the word of God, only the word of God will change a life,
37:34
not your opinion. And haven't you noticed over the
37:36
years that your opinion has changed a lot.
37:41
You may have thought one thing ten years ago, but with changes
37:44
in technology, you changed your opinion truth.
37:47
Never changes. Truth never changes but opinions
37:50
they change all the time. So when you're exhorting don't
37:53
give your opinion. Give the word of God, that's the
37:56
gift. You don't exercise your gift
37:58
when you're giving opinions you exercise.
38:00
I give when you're giving the word of God.
38:02
So before we go, let me give you five guidelines now, how to use
38:05
this gift, five things will go through them very quickly, but
38:08
they're very important. Number one, when you're using
38:11
this gift in another person's life, number one, don't make
38:14
decisions for them. Don't make their decisions for
38:17
them again, the has an in the realm of opinions to like, don't
38:21
it's not your life instead. Give them God's word and tell
38:26
them what God's word tells them to do the authority, is in God's
38:30
word. And so if there is something to
38:32
be said, like in a marriage thing, they're always going to
38:35
be these things that come up in marriage.
38:37
And and so a husband, I'm going to I'm going to remind them.
38:39
The Bible says for you to love your wife as Christ loved the
38:42
church. So it would be good for you to
38:44
learn how Christ loves the church because I Help you be a
38:46
better husband. Same with the white, the Bible
38:49
says wives submit to your husband's as unto the Lord.
38:52
So before we even get to your husband, how are these your
38:55
submission to the Lord? What does that look like, do a
38:58
study in the Bible? What submission looks like?
39:00
And let God do like, don't make decisions for them.
39:04
But rather give them the God's word and let him help them make
39:07
decisions. Number two, and we mentioned
39:08
this already but learn to listen, be a good listener, such
39:13
a great tool. One of the best ways, Ways for
39:16
this gift to be used is through a person that listens and
39:19
listens carefully. Not only that, but when you're
39:22
asking questions, ask clarifying questions you can ask one of the
39:26
powerful question when you're missing is someone is let me
39:30
just tell you what I heard and then repeat to them what you
39:33
heard and let them clarify that you heard it correctly because
39:37
if you heard something different or you interpreted it
39:39
differently, then you're going to give the wrong kind of
39:42
biblical Council because you didn't hear them properly.
39:46
And it's just a simple seconds, it takes s.
39:49
Another thing when questions and listening is be careful, not to
39:53
ask closed-ended questions like yes or no questions because even
39:57
you do that, are you angry right now?
39:59
No. And that's it.
40:02
What else you going to say? It's like bro you kind of look
40:04
angry, your face looks angry, you got a fist clench, your
40:07
teeth are all like you're not angry.
40:09
No. And you just making it more
40:11
angry instead, ask a question like this, it really looks like
40:16
You're uncomfortable right now. Tell me about how you're feeling
40:22
and, you know, you may open a door and somebody will say, you
40:24
know what, I'm just really frustrated right now.
40:26
Yeah, I can see the frustration and then you get them talking.
40:28
They go because I've always been treated like this, my whole
40:31
life. Will God just gave you an
40:34
Insight. Don't treat him like that.
40:36
Respect them. Love them care for them and it
40:40
opens up a channel for the word of God.
40:42
It's much better and going, you know what?
40:43
You look angry and you or stop being angry.
40:46
And while you know what? They're going to get more angry.
40:49
But when you listen, when you watch, when you make eye
40:52
contact, it's amazing how God will use you.
40:54
Thirdly, we talked about this as well, but fight the tendency to
40:59
let people become dependent upon you.
41:03
Fight the tenancy because God uses you, there will be that
41:07
sense where people want to attach themselves to you.
41:10
Because you're the tool that God use, don't allow people to
41:14
become emotionally attached to you and dependent upon you.
41:18
Our goal, here in this church, is to have you emotionally
41:21
attached and dependent upon the Lord.
41:25
That's our goal and we will do what we need to do.
41:28
To keep your eyes on the Lord. You are not the wonderful.
41:33
Counselor, Jesus is the wonderful counselor, and we want
41:37
you dependent upon him. We don't want you leaving drugs
41:41
to be dependent on a person leaving out would be done on
41:43
person, having a very difficult upbringing dependent on.
41:46
No, we need to teach you how to be dependent upon the Lord.
41:50
This is one that gets people upset with me all the time
41:53
because they got it and God will use me in their lives and it'll
41:57
be wonderful and great. But then I become the person
41:59
they think is the only one that can help them and I'm not the
42:03
only one that can help you. I'm not we are surrounded with
42:07
great godly. I think there's 13 or 14 months.
42:10
As pastors here, we have a great lay leadership here.
42:14
There are men and women their brothers and sisters, like will
42:16
probably help you even better than I can help you, but it's
42:19
not me. I have to make sure that I do
42:22
what God's call me to do. Otherwise, I'll be taken away
42:25
from prayer and the study of God's word.
42:27
And I'll find myself in a place where I'll never be a help to
42:30
you and it happens even when I'm traveling.
42:32
Somebody will Naomi. And if I'm unplugged, I won't
42:35
get that email for a week and it's an email.
42:37
They can't believe it at. It's horrible.
42:38
I need to talk to you right now. I have to right now and Julie
42:42
might call back and say, you know, he's not available or he
42:45
might and I don't get back for a and find that, get back to my
42:48
email after a week. And I answer and I'm sorry I
42:50
wasn't here, I was traveling. How can I help you in the
42:53
responses? All I don't need you anymore.
42:55
God took care of it. Yes, that's right.
42:58
And you didn't need me the first time either.
43:01
God would have taken care of it. Nonetheless.
43:03
And it was just another step. It's not that.
43:05
I don't want to serve you. I will.
43:07
And it's not that I won't pray with you.
43:08
I will. It's not that I won't talk to
43:10
you. I'm here after every service.
43:11
If I don't have an appointment, I will, I'll answer my email to
43:15
the best of my ability. It's not that, it's not, that
43:18
it's, you can't become dependent upon me because I can't be
43:22
available to you 24/7. Ever did you know?
43:26
Nobody can be available to you? 24/7.
43:28
Only God is your sufficiency? Let me give you another one.
43:31
Number four, protect yourself from emotional entanglement.
43:36
You want to use this gift? Well, don't let people become
43:38
attached to you, but you don't become attached to others.
43:42
Because, and that's why I think mentoring is so popular today.
43:45
And that topic is because It feels good to be used by God in
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someone's life. It feels good course, it does.
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It's like, yes, Lord. This is great.
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My life has meaning and I can't believe it.
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You used me, this is amazing. But then, as someone's trying to
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attach themselves to you, you might want to attach yourself to
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them because it gives you a quick burst of all.
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Yeah. That felt good.
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Oh yeah, that felt good. And it becomes a very unhealthy
44:10
relationship. God did not put you here to
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attach yourself or to be attached to.
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God wants you to point. People to him and we take great
44:21
efforts. Here we have some because of
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that, we have a few guidelines that we follow your, for
44:26
example, when it comes to counseling and I don't like
44:28
counseling so much, I'd rather call it discipleship.
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But because we all understand that word when it comes to
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counseling here, in this church, men Council men, women counsel
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women, that's the way it is and it's not going to change.
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It's not going to change. We're not going to get involved
44:43
men with women. Women with men, if you're ever
44:45
back in the office, as you'll see big window.
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Those on the door, you'll see accountability that's available.
44:51
So that always somewhere, something we won't be alone.
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Why? Because that's the beginning of
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difficulty, that's not to say that pastors won't pray with you
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or talk with you. Of course, we will, but we will
45:04
not have that intimate counseling relationship men with
45:08
women or women with men. It's men with men, women with
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women. Secondly, we don't encourage or
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allow in a time of counseling for you too.
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Share all of your marital problems and all the sexual
45:21
issues in your marriage. We don't want to hear about it,
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it won't help us do anything for you so just hold on to it
45:28
because we don't want anything that would soil.
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The mind that with enliven sinful things like like that's a
45:35
different issue. God can help solve those issues
45:39
as you learn to become intimate with one another.
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And so we won't allow that. We just say stop.
45:44
We won't allow you to go back and this is another one.
45:46
We won't allow you to go back. 50 years and tell us all your
45:49
problems in your marriage for the last 50 years.
45:52
We want. Well, you know, Pastor, I
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brought in a notebook and I have exactly five thousand seven
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hundred and thirty two and a half things.
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My husband has done to me for all these years.
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Are my wife. It doesn't matter which way it
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doesn't matter. No we won't and you you might
46:05
laugh or will it head? Are you?
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And I'm not weird. There is an example in my mind
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of a gal that came in and I sat down with them as a couple and
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she had a notebook that was this thick.
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And I didn't know what it was and as she opened it up, I
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noticed she was looking at it, tell him he's looking on.
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And I said, what is your notebook?
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Which is what's everything my husband ever did wrong.
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You shouldn't say that, but that's basically what it was,
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everything, my husband ever did wrong.
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And you know what? If you have a notebook like
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that, the Bible says, love keeps no records of wrongs and so the
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way to handle them is right away in the moment.
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I'm not saying they aren't wrong and I'm not saying you're not
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hurt from them. I'm just saying if you hold a
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book like that you will never experience Intimacy in your
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marriage. Never that.
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Even if God is ready to work today, the enemy will take you
46:51
back 30 years to ruin today, that's how he operates.
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You've got to move forward. So we don't allow that.
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Another thing here, we we don't encourage long-term counseling.
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Here we don't like if you go ahead, I need ten sessions.
47:05
That's not going to happen here. You're not going to get it.
47:08
You're going to get time. Pastors going to invest in your
47:11
life but don't think and even then don't think you need ten
47:14
sessions to change your life. Do you know, God can work that
47:17
fast. He can really turn you around
47:21
fast and then the next course of your life is not counseling,
47:25
it's discipleship where you get involved in community and you
47:30
read your Bible and pray every day, you'd be amazed what God
47:32
can do, but we're not going to set up all these different
47:35
sessions. That's how the world operates.
47:38
Another thing was, we're not going to charge you here.
47:40
So if you need help or not going to charge you, I can't believe
47:43
like the gift of exhortation freely we receive freely.
47:45
We give so we're going to charge you what we're going to help
47:49
you, and we're also going to give you homework We're going to
47:54
give you homework. So if you come in on session,
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number one, we're going to tell you, give you maybe a book to
47:58
read. Maybe some scriptures to look
48:00
up. And then when you call for your
48:01
next appointment you can be assured.
48:03
Someone's going to ask you, did you do your homework?
48:07
If the answer is no, we won't meet with you again.
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I mean, if you won't do your homework which was look up a
48:12
couple scriptures and write a paper, whatever you want to do
48:15
your homework. What makes you think another
48:17
session is going to help you? And it's just like God God's
48:20
taking his back and not, you know, those whole study is not
48:24
only learning about the gift of exhortation, but there were a
48:27
lot of expectations in this study, just feel the room right
48:30
now. You're like, whoa!
48:32
Whoa, that's heavy. It is because God is ready for
48:36
breakthrough and many of your lives.
48:38
He's ready to give you the Breakthrough, you don't have to
48:40
keep coming in those doors and leaving these doors and come in
48:43
those doors. And like, well, I've been
48:45
walking with the Lord. For 30 years, of my life hasn't
48:47
changed. He's ready to change your life.
48:49
He's ready to stir up your life. And so the fifth thing and using
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this gift, I've already mentioned, but giving homework,
48:56
giving assignments, pointing people to the word pointing
48:58
people to the Lord. So important.
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So God has given some men and women in the church, the
49:04
supernatural ability to help people.
49:06
Apply the truth of God's word in their every day living.
49:10
And if you have this gift, we appreciate you.
49:13
We thank you. And may not always be happy with
49:15
it, but we're always happy with the result.
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You know, that we're always happy with the end result.
49:20
It's hard to hear things. It's hard to hear hard things
49:25
but when the spirit of God is working in our lives, I think
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there's one thing we all share and that's we want to grow.
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Yes. You guys want to grow?
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I want to grow. I don't want to stay stagnant.
49:33
I want to grow in my life. I'm going to be a better Pastor
49:35
better. Dad might be a better friend, a
49:37
better husband, everything that I'm in my life.
49:40
I want to grow in the things of God until I see him
49:42
face-to-face. Okay, so before we leave, how
49:44
many of you today? Thank you.
49:45
Have the gift of exhortation. Okay, keep your hand up.
49:48
Don't put it down, I exhort. You.
49:50
Don't put it on. How many of you think you have
49:51
the gift of teaching? Put your hand up.
49:53
Keep them up. How many of you think you have
49:55
to get the prophecy? Keep your hand up, everybody.
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Anybody that has a gift right now, that I mentioned should
50:00
have their hand up, all rights, to keep it up.
50:02
And then how many of you think you have the gift of service?
50:05
All right. Keep them up.
50:06
Keep them up. Now, look around with your hand
50:08
up. Look around.
50:09
Just look at all the hands. Just give that it a visual.
50:12
I want you to have a visual, you put him down now.
50:14
Thank you. God can work very fast.
50:18
You may have already know your gift and it might be affirmation
50:21
but for simple. 45 minute Bible studies has unveiled all of this
50:27
so far, God can work fast he can and you know, you were like well
50:31
I know my gift, I don't know how to use it.
50:33
That comes with time. That's okay, but look how fast
50:36
God can work. So if you've got a marital
50:38
problem don't you think he can work fast.
50:40
If you got a kid problem, don't you think you can work fast, you
50:43
got a financial problem. Don't you think you can work
50:45
fast? Like God is on the Move in the
50:47
world today he is on the movie is bringing people to himself
50:51
convicting of sin. He is Drawing people into the
50:54
family of God, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
50:57
God is at work and it's not for everyone else, he's at work
51:01
Among Us. It's not just for them, it's not
51:05
just for a last-minute prayer in a bedside.
51:07
God is doing a work Among Us and I want you to trust him with
51:11
your life. We pray that you've been
51:13
encouraged by this Bible. Study delivered live from the
51:16
sanctuary of Calvary Church for prayer.
51:18
Call us at 877 30 Grace. That's a 77304 2:53 to listen to
51:28
this message in its entirety or to join us for our lives dream
51:32
Services. Visit us online at Calvary.
51:35
Co dot church or download our free Calvary Church app be
51:39
blessed as you worship Jesus this week.