All Christians need encouragement (Heb. 3:13). Christians should be known for their love and good works, but from time to time exhortation is needed.
Exhortation to attend is needed (Heb. 10:25). Why? Because showing up matters! It’s important to be present every time the church assembles. Not just because it is commanded, but for the great strength that comes from fellowship (Acts 2:42). Fellowship with Christ and His church are an important part of assembling (II Jn. 10; I Jn. 1:7). When considering the time set aside for Bible study and worship with the church, it is the single largest impact event of the Christian life. Sometimes in remembering a life lived at a funeral, the observation will be “he/she never missed a service.” A life that has been framed by worship to God. Wasted time? You know better than that. It is a time of formal instruction (I Cor. 14:23, 26b, 40), and your presence matters.
Exhortation to contend is needed in the faith (Jude 3). The faith is “worth fighting for” (I Tim. 6:12). Exhortation to endure was needed in the first century and still is today (II Tim. 2:3). Fighting the good fight of faith is what leads to a crown of life (II Tim. 4:7-8). As in any battle or war, exhortation is needed to keep on keeping on. Exhortation to contend is very important to keep everyone engaged in the Spiritual battle.
Exhortation to lead is very important for those who will lead (I Pt. 5:1). Elders need exhortation just like every Christian, but they also need exhortation and encouragement to lead (Titus 1:9). They are exhorted to exhort and convince false teachers, to watch for the flock and feed the people of God over whom they have been given oversight (Acts 20:28).
Every Christian needs exhortation to succeed (Acts 2:40), and is exhorted to pray for the success of others. Pray for those in authority with the benefit returning in quiet and peaceable lives lived before God (I Tim. 2:1-2). Young are to be exhorted by the older to be sober minded (Titus 2:1-8). Servants/laborers are exhorted to be obedient and genuine in their labor (Titus 2:9). That brings success to all. Christians should be the model employees, because they are to labor as unto the Lord (Eph. 6:7).
Success as the people of God means exhortation to warn the unruly, because the people of God are humble in service following His law (I Th. 5:14). Exhortation to support financially the work of the Lord is needed (II Cor. 9:5), because it takes financial support to successfully carry the gospel of Christ to all the world (II Cor. 9:5). Every Christian needs exhortation to succeed in Christ.
It is sometimes the case that Christians need to be reminded and exhorted to get along and love one another (Gal. 5:15). The devil looks for every opportunity to divide the people of God, and delights when Christians turn on one another in biting and devouring – destroying each other.
Finally, the exhortation of the apostle Paul to “be of good cheer” (Acts 27:22) is always welcomed and needed. The Christian life is challenging, that is why all Christians need good exhortation along the way and exhortation to provoke one another “unto love and good works” (Heb. 10:24).
-David Hill