How can we encourage others to embrace the exhortation in Hebrews 13:22? Setting the Scene • “I urge you, brothers, to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have only written to you briefly.” (Hebrews 13:22) • The writer has poured out a Spirit-inspired sermon-letter calling believers to persevere, prize Christ, and live holy lives. • His closing plea: “Bear with” it—welcome it, give it room, let it work. What Does “Bear With My Word of Exhortation” Mean? • Receive it: open ears and open hearts. • Retain it: keep thinking about it until it sinks in. • Respond to it: adjust life accordingly. • Relay it: pass it on so others can thrive in the same truth. Why Embrace the Exhortation? • It is God’s own Word—“All Scripture is God-breathed…” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). • It protects us from drift—“Exhort one another daily…so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13) • It produces fruit—“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only…” (James 1:22). Practical Ways to Encourage Others 1. Model Delight in Scripture – Speak of what you’re learning. – Let changed attitudes and choices be visible. 2. Share Brief, Timely Reminders – Text a verse or summary line from the day’s reading. – Keep it short; invite reflection rather than lecture. 3. Create Spaces for Discussion – Over coffee, around a dinner table, in small-group gatherings. – Let everyone voice observations, questions, and applications. 4. Affirm Progress – Celebrate small steps of obedience. – Echo Paul’s pattern: “I thank my God for you…” (Philippians 1:3-6). 5. Supply Reliable Resources – Printed or audio Bibles, reading plans, trustworthy commentaries. – Point out free apps that offer the text for easy access. 6. Pray with Persistence – Ask God to grant a hunger for His Word (Psalm 119:18). – Intercede by name; keep a list and rejoice as interest grows. 7. Walk in Patience – “Be patient with everyone.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14) – Not every seed sprouts overnight. Scripture Connections That Strengthen the Appeal • Colossians 3:16—Word dwelling richly leads to mutual admonition and worship. • Acts 17:11—The Bereans received the message “with great eagerness” and tested it by Scripture. • Proverbs 27:17—Mutual sharpening is God’s design for growth. Living Examples • Barnabas (“Son of Encouragement”) sought Saul, invested in Mark, and uplifted the Jerusalem church. • Aquila and Priscilla gently instructed Apollos, equipping him to preach more accurately (Acts 18:24-26). Both couples embraced exhortation themselves and multiplied it in others. Final Takeaway Encouraging others to “bear with” the Word is as simple—and as weighty—as loving God’s voice, letting it transform us, and inviting friends into the same life-giving conversation. |
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