Admonish One Another Series

Introduction:

A. One day a man was seated at a table at an upscale restaurant.

1. The man proceeded to put his napkin in his collar like a bib.

2. The maître d´ called the waiter aside and said, “Try to make that man understand, as tactfully as possible, that the way he is wearing his napkin is not done here.”

3. So, the waiter approached the customer and said, “Sir, would you like a shave or haircut?”

4. I doubt that’s the kind of tact that the maître d had in mind! What do you think?

B. As you probably know from experience, confrontation is risky business.

1. Most of us don’t like to do it and so we try to avoid it at all costs.

2. We don’t like to be seen as the “bad guy.”

3. When we confront someone, we run the risk of damaging the relationship.

4. We worry that the person we are confronting may get hurt or angry, and then what, right?

C. Why is it that admonition is so unpopular in our culture?

1. Probably because our culture is both radically individualistic and morally relativistic.

2. Since our culture prizes individual rights over responsibilities, and since our culture rejects universal, absolute moral standards, there is simply no basis for moral correction in some people’s minds.

3. Add to that the way that pride gets in the way, and the way that many dysfunctional people have abused confrontation, and the way manipulative religious groups have abused confrontation, then it’s not surprising why we shy away from admonishing one another.

D. But nevertheless, in the face of our dislike of confrontation and its abuse by some, God says that it is necessary and can be very helpful.

1. Last week we emphasized the truth that we must learn to accept one another just as Christ accepted us to the glory and praise of God.

2. But like so many issues we see in Scripture, there is another truth that brings that one into balance.

3. The contrasting, balancing truth for “accept one another” is “admonish one another.”

I. What does it mean to Admonish One Another?

A. The Greek word for “admonish” literally means “to place on one’s mind” – to bring it to their attention.

1. It is also translated “to counsel,” “to warn,” and “to instruct.”

2. It is part of a group of words that range from correcting the ignorant to rebuking the obstinate.

3. Admonition seeks to correct those who are damaging themselves and others by their wrong choices and behaviors.

4. Biblical admonition involves moral correction through verbal confrontation that is motivated by genuine love.

5. There is a whole spectrum of ways a person might admonish someone, ranging from a gently raised question to a very forceful rebuke - what Nathan the prophet delivered to King David was somewhere in between the two.

6. In Galatians 2:11-13, The apostle Paul told about a time when he had to confront the apostle Peter directly, because Peter was wrong and was leading others astray – including Barnabas!

B. In reality, there are few signs of our love for someone that are greater than our willingness to risk rejection and broken relationship, because we lovingly confronted them for their own good.

1. Love demands that we not let anyone get away with wandering away from God and possibly losing their salvation.

2. Love demands that we hold each other accountable to God’s truths and to the truth about ourselves.

C. If admonition is done in the right spirit, with the right motive, using an appropriate method, then the person receiving the admonition will be better for it, and hopefully eventually thank us for it.

1. A stronger and closer relationship can be the outcome of proper admonishment of each other.

2. Real Christian community cannot be experienced if there is only acceptance, encouragement and affirmation, there must also be a place for admonition.

3. That’s precisely what Paul envisioned in Colossians 3:16, when he wrote, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

4. Paul said something similar in Romans 15:14, “I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.”

D. From these two texts, we see two important things that must be present for effective and helpful admonishment.

1. First of all, we must be characterized by goodness.

a. That speaks to our motive for admonition – our love for each other.

b. And that speaks to the overall direction of our spiritual life.

c. Admonition works best when the person doing it has their own house in pretty good order.