Exhortation: Admonish the Disorderly

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces 1 Thessalonians 5:14 as part of Paul's overarching theme of how believers can please God. He reviews the previous week's sermon on the congregation's…

The desire of a loving child to please their father or mother is used to illustrate the higher motive for a child of God to please and delight God.

motive to the heart of a child who loves his father or mother than to appeal to him in terms of these words, son, daughter, to do this will please your daddy. A loving son, a loving daughter needs no higher motivation and so the Apostle sets before these Christians these different ways in which they could please the Lord if they would...

0:57 - 1:27 Read in full sermon

The point: Consciously recognize the Lord Jesus as your prophet, declaring God's will through scripture, and as your king, demanding obedience, every time a servant of God expounds scripture.

The dramatic splitting of heavens and thunder at Sinai is contrasted with Christ speaking through weak, fumbling elders to emphasize that His authority is no less present in the exposition of Scripture.

Is he pleased to split the heavens with thunder as he did at Sinai? And in the silence following the rumbling of the thunder, split the heavens with that mighty voice that spoke upon Sinai and say, I command you, admonish the disorderly. He doesn't do that. What does he do?

7:21 - 7:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Consciously recognize the Lord Jesus as your prophet, declaring God's will through scripture, and as your king, demanding obedience, every time a servant of God expounds scripture.

The story of the rich man in hell asking for someone to rise from the dead to warn his brothers is used to argue that if people won't heed the written word, they won't be persuaded by spectacular signs.

No less. Ah, but someone says, oh, pastor, you mean to tell me, if all of a sudden you stopped and we heard a voice that we knew came from nowhere but heaven, we wouldn't respond to that voice with more carefulness than we respond to yours? I mean to say precisely that. And I have scripture to back it up.

8:13 - 8:35 Read in full sermon

The point: Be a realist about the presence of disorderly, weak, and faint-hearted people in the church, to avoid disillusionment or constantly moving from one church to another.

The common desire to 'be the early church' is challenged by pointing out the specific problems and disorders in Corinth, Colossae, and Thessalonica, illustrating that no church is perfect.

And yet Paul knows that there will be some disorderly people, some faint-hearted people, and some weak people. He was a realist. And you and I must be realists. Sometimes when I see people get a far away dreamy look and they say, oh, if we could only be the early church. And I say, which one?

18:25 - 18:48 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate discernment to distinguish between the disorderly, the faint-hearted, and the weak, and to know the appropriate remedy (admonishing, comforting, supporting) for each.

A resident physician instructing an intern to administer sulfur for a specific disease is used to illustrate that believers must cultivate discernment to know the difference between spiritual maladies and their appropriate remedies.

Now if this exhortation is addressed to all the brethren, God is saying to you as brethren, you must cultivate discernment concerning these different spiritual categories. Let me illustrate. If the resident physician says to the young intern, now I want you to go through the hospital and I want you to administer sulfur to all who have this particular disease, he's saying to that fella, number one, I want you to cultivate all that's necessary to localize this disease, and I want you to know the difference between penicillin and sulfur. And that's his responsibility. Our responsibility is to kno...

24:51 - 26:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Be concerned about theology, scripture, and observing the problems of spiritual life, as it is incumbent upon you to be a 'physician of others' and know maladies and remedies.

Examples of abusing appetite (digging grave with teeth) and cars (reckless driving) are used to argue that the potential for abuse of a spiritual duty does not mitigate the responsibility for its proper use.

Probably will be, as long as men are sinners. Lots of God's gifts are abused. I see people obviously abusing the wonderful gift of appetite. They go around like this, digging their grave with their teeth. That doesn't mean I'm about not to eat anymore. I see people abusing their cars. Aiming that hunk of metal down the highway so recklessly, that doesn't mean I'm about to start walking. All of God's gifts are liable to abuse. And sure, you may have some who will abuse this duty, but the abuse of it does not need to mitigate our responsibility for the proper use of it. In fact, generally, a spi...

26:35 - 27:44 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon focuses on the first command, defining 'the disorderly' using a military analogy as those who break rank with scriptural precepts. 'Admonish' is explained as a severe…

The military term for a soldier marching out of order or breaking rank is used to vividly define 'disorderly' as a Christian who deviates from scriptural precepts.

And it's the word used of a soldier that's in the parade, and all of a sudden with everyone marching, left, right, left, right, all of a sudden this guy skips a step, and he's going right when everyone else is going left. And when the commanding officer says that we're going to move to the left, and everyone breaks rank this way, he goes to the right. He has become disorderly. The word literally means one who marches out of order or quits or breaks rank. A man who is neglectful of his duty. Now, doesn't that help you to understand who the disorderly are? Who is to be admonished? The disorderly...

30:30 - 31:17 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon focuses on the first command, defining 'the disorderly' using a military analogy as those who break rank with scriptural precepts. 'Admonish' is explained as a severe…

The direct, authoritative command of a military officer to a private who is out of line is used to illustrate the severe and sober nature of 'admonition,' contrasting it with a polite suggestion.

To admonish means to severely warn or charge soberly. It's the picture you see of the military officer who speaks to that soldier that steps out of rank. He doesn't say, oh, excuse me, sir, at your convenience, I would like to point out that perhaps maybe your conduct isn't quite all that it ought to be. Private! Back in line!

35:51 - 36:18 Read in full sermon

The point: Never maintain peace in the church at the expense of its purity; be willing to admonish disorderly brothers and sisters even if it causes trouble.

The 'peace' found in a hippie community where 'anything goes' is used to illustrate that peace maintained at the expense of purity is not true biblical peace.

All over the country they have no fusses, no problems. Why? Anything goes. Nobody admonishes anyone from the pulpit down through. Anything goes. You can have peace. Sure. Like peace in a hippie community. Anything goes. No rules.

39:02 - 39:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Welcome admonitions from your brethren, even if your initial reflex is self-defense, because a true desire for holiness and communion with God will lead you to value such reproof.

The 'smoke of your own remaining corruption' dying down is a metaphor for the initial defensive reflex when receiving admonition, which should eventually give way to gratitude.

Because what I want more than any thing in life is a holy walk that will give me the privilege of constant access and communion with my God. My friend, if you love holiness for holiness sake, and for the sake of enjoying communion with God, you will welcome the admonitions of your brethren. Your reflex action, because the remains of corruption are there, may be defending yourself, retaliating. Granted, that may be your reflex action, but listen carefully.

45:59 - 46:34 Read in full sermon