SERMON TITLE: Gifts of the Spirit: Exhortation
SCRIPTURE: Romans 12:4-8 (ESV)
SPEAKER: Josh Hanson
DATE: 3-30-25
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As always it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time — if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus or are with our friends in Bucyrus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.
We’re continuing our series in Romans this weekend — taking a look at the spiritual gifts that Paul mentions in his letter so we all understand what these gifts are and how they’re to be used in our faith family. Now the purpose of the spiritual gifts is something I’ve reminded us of each week: Spiritual gifts are abilities given to individual believers by the Holy Spirit in order to equip God’s people for ministry, both for the edification of the church and for God’s salvific mission to the world. - Lexham Survey of Theology
Here’s what Paul says about the gifts — in Romans chapter twelve — beginning in verse four.
Romans 12:4–8 ESV
4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
We took two weeks to explore the gift of prophecy — followed by a week to look at the gift of service. And — then — last week we looked at the gift of teaching. Which means that today we’re looking at the gift of exhortation, which Paul mentions in verse eight when he writes…
Romans 12:8 ESV
8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation;
So let’s begin by answering the question, “What is the gift of exhortation?” The definition I shared with you a few weeks ago is…
Exhortation/Encouragement - The gift of exhortation is the divine strength or ability to strengthen, comfort or urge others to action through the written or spoken word and Biblical truth.
So exhortation and encouragement are related words — though encouragement is a more familiar word to many of us. Yet — though related — the two words do have a slight difference to their definitions. One definition of biblical exhortation is “an urging done by someone close beside.” (Got Questions?) Another is “an urgent recommendation or encouragement to pursue a course of action.” (Logos Factbook)
Whereas biblical encouragement is defined as “giving someone confidence or boldness to do something.” (Logos Factbook) Or as “one person inspiring another person with comfort, counsel, and confidence.” (June Hunt)
So the words have similarities and differences.
Like all spiritual gifts — exhortation is a supernatural ability. In fact — the Greek word translated as exhort or comfort in verse seven — is related to something Jesus promised to us. Let’s see if you can figure out what I’m referring to.
John 14:15–17 ESV
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
What I was referring to is the word “Helper” — which refers to the Holy Spirit. In other places the Holy Spirit is called the “Comforter, Advocate, or Counselor.” I bring this up to remind us — again — that these spiritual gifts are not natural talents or personality traits — but are displays of the Holy Spirit working in and through the people of God. And — with this particular spiritual gift — the work that Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit would do — comfort, advocate, counsel, and so on — is made evident. What an important spiritual gift for the church today.
Now — for me personally — of all of the spiritual gifts — this is the one I currently long for the most. Because — though I can’t say for certain — my guess is that you — like me — love to be around people who have this spiritual gift. Why? Because they’re so encouraging even as they challenge you to grow in your faith and take steps of obedience. When the Holy Spirit displays himself through others in this way — it’s hard to be offended by their correction because you know that you’re being loved. And — if you remember what I said about preaching a few weeks ago — how spiritual gifts come into play as much as an individual’s personality — when I hear others — who have the gift of exhortation teach God’s Word — I just love it and long for more of it in my preaching.
Now — before we go any further with this gift — and its connection with the gift of teaching — which is important — let’s look at some examples of exhortation in Scripture. Think of this as a big overview of the many ways exhortation and encouragement are seen in the Bible. And I know that — for some of us — a bunch of different Bible verses may be hard to follow. If you don’t know — my sermon manuscripts are available on both our church website — gatewayepc.org — and our church app. We make them available so you can follow along with me, go back and look at them for reference in the future, and so on. But — when we talk about topics — like these spiritual gifts — we must see what Scripture as a whole has to say — because often just looking at a verse or two won’t give us the full biblical picture.
Some of these will be examples of how all Christians are to exhort one another — even if we don’t have this particular gift — while others will be examples of this particular spiritual gift at work.
Now for some examples. In the longest teaching we have from Jesus — his Sermon on the Mount — at one point he says...
Matthew 5:4 ESV
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Most likely the mourning — the sorrow — that Jesus is referring to is due to the condition the nation of Israel was in at the time when he said these words. If you’re unfamiliar with the history of the Jews — the Old Testament records for us a rollercoaster of a relationship between them and God. Now God was steady — he was always faithful to them — yet they — the Jews — would go through seasons of faithfulness and seasons of unfaithfulness. And — many times — the consequence of their unfaithfulness was life in exile — where their land — called the Promised Land — was occupied by other nations. In Jesus’ day it was the Romans. And the Temple — the sacred place of worship for the Jews — was still under construction — because twice it’s been destroyed by occupying nations.
So the people’s mourning and sorrow was due to them being occupied and under the control of Rome. And — the comfort — Jesus speaks of — is the future fulfillment of the Kingdom of God being restored. That’s what many of the Jewish listeners would have understood.
Yet — some would have also understood this mourning to be a sorrow due to their sin. Others still would have thought of difficult situations they were going through. The beauty of biblical truth is that — though there’s one meaning of the text — those who mourn will be comforted — the applications are many — for countless are the reasons for our sorrow.
Regardless if your sorrow is due to the immoral state of our nation, or a sin you’ve committed that’s caused pain in the lives of others, or is due to the choices an adult child of yours is making — blessed — Jesus says — are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Yes — God himself can and does comfort his people. And — yes — more specifically — the promised Comforter — the Holy Spirit who lives in us — comforts his people when they are in sorrow. But also — yes — the Holy Spirit wants to comfort those who are in mourning through individuals whom he’s empowered with this spiritual gift.
What an intimate call for some among us. To be with people in their hardest moments of life knowing that the Holy Spirit will use you to bring them comfort. Yes — all Christians are called to “weep with those who weep” — but those with this spiritual gift have a way of being a source of encouragement in people’s lives when they need it most.
Here’s another example of exhortation, encouragement, and comfort in the New Testament. We see this in a man named Barnabas. In Acts we read…
Acts 11:19–24 ESV
19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
Due to persecution — the Christians had spread throughout the Roman Empire. Christianity was no longer solely in the hands of the apostles who’d been taught by Jesus. And so these ordinary Christians spread out — yet they keep proclaiming the gospel — for they know that Jesus’ mission for the church was as much for them as it was for the apostles. Yet there’s always been a need to ensure that what’s spreading is the true gospel — for history shows that false gospels and even — “almost the gospels” — spread right alongside the true gospel. So Barnabas — an early church leader — goes to check in on these Christians who’ve been dispersed because of the persecution in Jerusalem. And look at what he does when he finds these faithful ordinary Christians doing the Lord’s work.
He’s glad — he rejoiced because of what they were doing. And he exhorted them — he encouraged them and urged them to remain faithful in the work they were doing. And — because of their faithfulness and Barnabas’ exhortation — a great many more people believed in Jesus.
Again — that’s my dream role in the church. To show up and — not be viewed like a health inspector showing up to surprise a restaurant or a Bible referee ready to call fouls when you answer a question in Life Group when I’m visiting — but am there to encourage you to keep doing the good work of the Lord that you’re doing. Yes — people need to be corrected when they err. Yes — instruction is important. Yes — doctrine matters. But — more often than not — people just need some encouragement. That’s what Barnabas was able to give to these Christians.
When I was brand new to working in the church — I was on staff of a large church where I oversaw adult discipleship — in our church, think membership class, equip classes, and our Life Groups. There was a man in the church — Wayne Detzler — who was in his 70’s at the time. He had multiple advanced degrees — including a PhD. He’d worked at multiple seminaries, was the president of a seminary at the time, had been a missionary overseas in Asia, and was part of Billy Graham’s team back in the day. And I — well — I had a jazz saxophone degree, no seminary education, and a lot to learn in my late 20’s.
Wayne asked me to co-teach an adult class with him. We went through books of the Bible verse by verse teaching a class of about a hundred people. And all I remember from that time is Wayne encouraging me. We both knew — he especially knew — that I had a ton to learn. Yet that’s not what Wayne focused on. Instead he encouraged me, and encouraged me, and encouraged me to keep teaching, to keep studying, to keep preparing for the class.
We were in a small group together and he let me lead. We went through Ephesians and — when we finished the book — Wayne gave me a copy of the book he’d written on Ephesians. He waited until after we were finished to tell me he’d written a book on what we’d been discussing. And — on the inside page — Wayne wrote, “Thank you for leading us deeper into Ephesians.”
It’s not an exaggeration to say that I wouldn’t be here today if it hadn’t been for the Holy Spirit using Wayne to exhort me in being faithful to the work God had for me to do.
I wonder how many Wayne’s there are among us? People with this spiritual gift who the Holy Spirit wants to use to encourage others — especially the next generation — so they remain faithful to the work God’s called them to.
Later on in Acts there’s a theological controversy that the church has to deal with. The leaders of the church gather in Jerusalem, discuss the issue, and come to a conclusion on the matter. And they send their conclusion in the form of a letter to the church in Antioch by way of Paul, Barnabas, Judas, and Silas. After the letter was read to the Christian in Antioch, we read…
Acts 15:32 ESV
32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.
Remember that one purpose of all spiritual gifts is the strengthening of the church. And these two men — Judas and Silas — who we also see were prophets — encouraged the Christians in Antioch — and strengthened them.
In the apostle Paul’s life we find moments like…
Acts 20:1–2 ESV
1 After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece.
After a riot in Ephesus — where a large crowd would’ve killed Paul without thinking twice about it — Paul wanted to make sure that he encouraged the Christians who lived there before he departed from their city. I bet they needed some encouragement, right? That’s a hostile city to live in as a Christian. Thus the Holy Spirit used Paul to strengthen the resolve of those who’d continue to live there and fulfill the ministry Jesus had called them to.
And — in my mind — what may be one of the clearest displays of the supernaturalness of this gift — while on a ship at sea that’s caught in a deadly storm and everyone on the boat assumes they’re going to die…
Acts 27:33–34 ESV
33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.”
Due to Paul’s exhortation in the middle of raging seas — the men listened — and not one of them died — they all made it to shore. In times of chaos and uncertainty — a word of exhortation — the Holy Spirit speaking through someone — can bring a peace that surpasses all understanding — a powerful word that may even result in the lives of many being saved.
What a spiritual gift to be appreciated and thankful for — that God the Holy Spirit chooses to use some among us in such a powerful way.
Though it shouldn’t surprise us that the Holy Spirit would display his power through some of us in this way. After all, Scripture does say…
2 Corinthians 1:3–6 ESV
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.
I wonder if Paul was thinking of Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount — that we read earlier — when he wrote these words. That our God will provide supernatural comfort to his people when we experience affliction and suffering. For sufferings are guaranteed to come. There’s no escaping heartache in this world cursed by sin. We’re in a spiritual war with an enemy who’s afflicted saints in the past — go read the first two chapters of Job if you don’t know his story — and the man whose words we just read — Paul — is the one who said with confidence…
Acts 20:22–24 ESV
22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Dear Christian, you can face affliction, uncertainty, persecution, and sorrow with confidence if you live under the authority of the Word of God and by the power of the Spirit of God. And — even more so — you don’t have to do this alone — you can’t do it alone. For the Spirit of God empowers others with his gift of exhortation and encouragement to strengthen you in the hard days of life.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV
11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
And…
Hebrews 3:13 ESV
13 Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
And…
2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV
11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Before we look at how we should respond — I want to remind us again of our discipleship value of being Word and Spirit Christians here at Gateway. For we want to be followers of Jesus who live under the authority of the Word of God — the Bible — as we live empowered by the Spirit of God — including the Spirit’s gifts.
And the spiritual gift of exhortation has a strong connection with God’s Word — especially to our obedience of God’s Word. For example, in the gospel of Luke we read…
Luke 3:18 ESV
18 So with many other exhortations he (John the baptist) preached good news to the people.
John was preparing the way for Jesus. He preached repentance — turn from your sins — and faith — turn to the living God. He called people to respond to the Word of God and he did so with many exhortations.
Or Peter — in the first sermon he preached — after quoting from the prophet Joel — which we looked at weeks ago — we read this…
Acts 2:40 ESV
40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
Peter calls the people to respond to the Word he just preached to them. By exhorting them — he encouraged them — to respond to the Word.
Or as Paul began the chapter of Romans we’re in with the words…
Romans 12:1 ESV
1 I appeal to (I exhort or encourage) you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
As you heard me say before — because of all the theology Paul taught in the first eleven chapters of Romans — he now appeals to us — he exhorts us — he encourages us to make Jesus look glorious through how we live because of what we believe.
Later he writes these words.
Romans 16:17 ESV
17 I appeal to (again, I exhort or encourage) you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.
Words to be obeyed — not just then — but even in our day.
Or that — pastors today — like Timothy — should…
1 Timothy 4:13 ESV
13 …devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
Look at how the Word is to be my central focus as a pastor. Reading the Bible. Exhorting others to obey the Bible. Teaching the Bible.
The Spirit gives these gifts — all of the spiritual gifts — not to contradict the Word of God — but to help us live more faithfully to the Word of God.
Now — as we close our time looking at the spiritual gift of exhortation — I want to exhort all of you — appeal to you — and encourage you to respond to exhortation like Jesus did. For the Savior you follow — if you believe in Jesus — responded to the exhortation of others in this way.
Mark 1:40–41 ESV
40 And a leper came to him, imploring him (exhorting Jesus), and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.”
In response to the exhortation of this leper — Jesus — moved with pity — full of compassion and love for this man — touched the untouchable — and healed him.
Or — when a ruler of the synagogue — a man named Jairus — approached Jesus, and fell at his feet…
Mark 5:23–24 ESV
23 and implored him (exhorted him) earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24 And he (Jesus) went with him.
In response to this desperate father — Jesus — went with him and healed his daughter.
Another time — after returning from Tyre and Sidon and arriving in the region of the Decapolis — some people…
Mark 7:32 ESV
32 brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him (they exhorted him) to lay his hand on him.
And in response to their exhortation — Jesus healed the man.
Or when Jesus and his disciples…
Mark 8:22 ESV
22 …came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him (exhorted him) to touch him.
Jesus — responding to their exhortation — touched the blind man and healed him.
If the Savior we follow could humble himself — stoop down to our level — and respond to our exhortations — our begging and pleading and desperate cries — how much more so should we respond to the Spirit of God when he exhorts us through our fellow Christians that he’s empowered with the gift of exhortation?
What a blessing this spiritual gift is for us. And what a blessing — and what an important part of our faith family — are those whom the Spirit displays himself through this gift. For the Spirit does so for our good and for Jesus’ glory. Let’s pray.
Father, as we’ve been reminded — you’re the God of all comfort who comforts us in our afflictions so we might comfort those afflicted. Comfort your people. And use us to comfort one another.
Holy Spirit, you’re the promised Comforter who lives in the people of God — giving us a peace that surpasses all understanding. Give us this peace, we ask.
And Jesus, you’re the One who calmed the raging seas with a spoken command. Though your disciples were scared for their lives — you spoke a word and creation obeyed. Speak to us and lead us to obey.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — fill us with your words of exhortation and encouragement for the good of others and for your glory. Specially anoint many in this faith family of ours with the spiritual gift of exhortation. And — right now — through me — call some to believe in Jesus — to respond to the most encouraging words they will ever hear: You are loved by God.
We pray all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
As you go — may you devote yourselves to speaking words of exhortation and encouragement to each other — so we’re all strengthened in our faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.
God loves you. I love you. You are sent.
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