Practicing Christian Leadership, Mentor's Guide, MG11

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P R A C T I C I N G C H R I S T I A N L E A D E R S H I P

The absence of church discipline and high standards of Christian conduct indicates that we don’t take holiness too seriously. In our promotion, we try to “sell” the Church to the world by conveying the unbiblical idea that Christianity is “fun” and every pagan ought to join the club and start living on the sunny side of the street. ~ W. W. Wiersbe. Be Holy . (Electronic ed.) Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996.

1. Challenges the people of God to remain faithful in their discipleship in Jesus Christ: the Christian leader is charged with the responsibility to reprove, rebuke, and exhort believers to remain faithful to the Lord .

a. Titus 2.11-15

b. 1 Tim. 4.12

2. By exhorting them for the purpose of edification: the Christian leader does not lord it over others, but encourages them to fulfill their responsibility in Jesus Christ .

a. 2 Tim. 4.2

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b. 1 Thess. 5.14

B. The implications of biblical exhortation

1. No disciple of Jesus can live in this world without having to fight the three-fold enemy of the saints: the world, the flesh, and the devil.

a. The world: that external system of temptation and deception, 1 John 2.15-17

b. The flesh: that internal nature of sin and rebellion which must be reckoned to have died with Christ, Rom. 6.1-11