How To Be An Exhortation Fountain

How to be an Exhortation Fountain

Hebrews 13

Second Corinthians 5:14 says, “For the love of Christ compels us…”

Can you honestly say that the life that you lead you do not lead for yourself? Can you say that you lead your life so that others may benefit? Can you look back over your day, your week, your life, and seriously answer the question, “Have I kept all of the faith?”

Hebrews 13 has lots of exhortations in it to help us keep all of the faith. What does that include?

Have YOU loved others as your brothers and sisters?

Did YOU reach out to strangers?

Did YOU remember in prayer those either in prison or less fortunate than yourself?

Has your marriage honored God?

Are YOU content with what YOU have?

Do YOU pray for your country’s leaders, your company’s boss, and your supervisors, and your fellow workers?

Do YOU pray for your pastor, the church leadership, and its direction and vision?

Those things that we just mentioned may or may not be new to you, but, nevertheless, they are things for which we will be held accountable by God. You see, the life of Christ was many things. We could call it a life of service, a life of love, a life of ministry, or we could even call it a life of exhortation.

Whatever you want to call His life, the purpose was always the same. You see, when Jesus walked on this earth, He was led forward by a heart that was always bent on pleasing God. He was led forward by a heart that was always in close fellowship with God.

Philippians 2:1-18 (KJV)

1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. 17 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

Let this mind, this thought, this attitude be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Let this idea, this way of life be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

The wonderful sculpted words of Philippians 2 exhort us to a way of life, an attitude that we, through the Spirit of God, need to maintain.

And just what is attitude, anyway? Well, on an airplane, we would say that attitude is the position of the aircraft relative to a frame of reference. An example would be: its attitude in relation to the earth.

What about you? What’s your attitude? What’s your position in relation to your friends or your relatives? What’s your attitude, your position in relation God?

Hebrews 13 is designed as an attitude adjustment tool. It’s filled full of exhortation of one form or another. With each one pointing out problems that not only the Hebrew Jews had 2000 years ago, but problems that we have today.