How to Minister to Messy People" - Pastor Michael O. Oyedokun, II, M. Div.

Devotional

Day 1: Acknowledging Our Own Messiness Before God

We all fall short of God's glory and live in a state of imperfection. This is not a cause for despair, but a fundamental truth that opens the door to grace. Recognizing our own messiness is the first step toward genuine community and growth. It humbles us and allows us to extend the same compassion to others that we have received from Christ. We are all sinners saved by grace, and in that truth, we find our common ground. [09:07]

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23, ESV)

Reflection: In what specific area of your life are you most aware of your own "messiness" or struggle with sin? How does acknowledging this need for grace change the way you view yourself and others?

Day 2: Admonishing Those Who Are Unruly in Action

Some within the community create disorder through their actions, stepping outside of God's design for His body. They may be apathetic, rebellious, or simply idle, refusing to use their gifts for service. This disorder can hinder the church's mission and create confusion. The biblical response is not harsh judgment but loving admonishment—a gentle warning and encouragement to return to the fold and participate in God's work. [17:01]

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. (1 Thessalonians 5:14, ESV)

Reflection: When you see a fellow believer acting in a way that causes disorder or idleness, what is one practical, loving step you can take to encourage them back into faithful participation?

Day 3: Encouraging Those Who Are Feeble-Minded in Approach

Many struggle with a fainthearted approach to faith, becoming easily discouraged by challenges and threats. These brothers and sisters are often fearful of change and may be tempted to give up when the journey gets difficult. They need comfort and the reassurance that they do not walk alone. This requires drawing near to them, speaking tenderly, and reminding them that trials can strengthen and enlarge their faith. [22:44]

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life seems fainthearted or discouraged in their walk with God? How can you intentionally draw near to them this week to offer a word of comfort and hope?

Day 4: Supporting Those Who Are Weak in Attitude

Spiritual weakness often manifests in a negative attitude and a recurring cycle of sin. These individuals may be weak in faith, quick to doubt God's promises when trials come, and easily influenced by the world. They require support, not condemnation. The call is to hold them up patiently, to help bear their burdens, and to restore them with a spirit of gentleness, reflecting the law of Christ. [30:57]

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: Is there someone you have been tempted to give up on because of their repeated struggles? What would it look like to patiently hold them up this week through prayer or a simple act of love?

Day 5: Embracing Patience and Love for All

Ministering to messy people ultimately requires immense patience and a refusal to retaliate. It is about affection, not retaliation. We are called to tenderly and gently lead others, loving them as God has loved us, and trusting Him with the results. This patient love reflects the heart of Christ, who came not for the righteous but for sinners, to call us out of our mess and into His marvelous light. [32:01]

See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. (1 Thessalonians 5:15, ESV)

Reflection: Considering your own journey from messiness to grace, how can you more intentionally extend patient, non-retaliatory love to a difficult person in your life, leaving the results to God?

Sermon Summary

Songs of thanksgiving open into a sober, practical exhortation about how the church must care for messy people. The text insists that everyone bears messiness because of sin, and spiritual communities grow only when that reality meets honest, hands‑on ministry. Three specific categories of “messy” believers receive attention: the unruly who disrupt by action and apathy; the feeble‑minded who approach life with fear and give up under pressure; and the weak whose attitudes trap them in repeated sin and discourage others. Each category requires a distinct response: admonishment delivered with brotherly love for those acting out, tender encouragement and presence for the fainthearted, and steady, supportive help for those weakened in faith.

Admonishment appears not as condemnation but as corrective love that calls disorderly members back into the ranks to use their gifts. Comfort and close proximity ground encouragement for the dispirited, teaching that trials can enlarge faith rather than defeat it. Practical restoration for the weak involves bearing burdens, gently restoring the trespasser, and reinforcing habits of self‑discipline so cycles of sin break. Across every intervention the text commands patience, non‑retaliation, careful self‑examination, and an insistence on intimacy: ministry that heals must be close enough to lay hands on another.

The gospel frames the entire approach. Jesus’ ministry targeted the messy—those who recognized need more than righteousness—and the church should do the same. Salvation covers imperfections; grace, mercy, and a covering of favor enable messy people to become visible testimonies of God’s work. The call closes with a direct invitation to accept that grace, unite with the community, and allow close, patient fellowship to turn mess into maturity. Ministry to messy people thus becomes both an ethic and an evangelistic practice: admonish without wrath, encourage with tenderness, help with persistence, and leave the results to God while loving without reprisal.

Key Takeaways

1. Admonish unruly with brotherly love Admonishment functions as corrective encouragement rather than punitive judgment. Calling disorderly members back into faithful service protects the whole body and reactivates dormant gifts. Correction must carry the posture of restoration so the wayward can rejoin the ranks without shame. [17:01]
2. Encourage the fainthearted nearby Comfort requires presence: getting near, speaking tenderly, and walking the difficult stretch alongside someone. Fear shrinks potential; close encouragement enlarges it by reframing trials as growth opportunities. Proximity converts isolation into fellowship and strengthens resolve to keep pressing forward. [22:44]
3. Help weak by holding them Restoration of the weak calls for hands‑on support—bearing burdens, restoring in gentleness, and teaching self‑discipline. Practical aid prevents relapse and cultivates the habits that sustain faith. Persistent, patient help signals that weakness does not exclude one from belonging or future usefulness. [30:39]
4. Love messy people; leave results Respond with patience, refuse retaliation, and guard one’s own conduct while entrusting outcomes to God. Love reframes opposition into redemptive opportunity and models the gospel’s transformative power. Results belong to God; the church’s role is faithful, faithful care. [32:20]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:29] - Opening Praise and Thanksgiving
[07:47] - Introducing “Messy” People
[09:07] - All Are Messy by Sin
[12:40] - Three Groups Identified
[12:58] - Unruly: Messy Through Actions
[18:11] - Feeble‑Minded: Messy Approach
[24:04] - Weak: Messy Through Attitude
[31:49] - Ways to Restore the Messy
[34:22] - Gospel: Christ for the Messy
[47:08] - Invitation: Come and Be Restored
[49:14] - Closing Praise and Benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (ESV)
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

Observation questions

According to the passage, what are the three distinct groups of people mentioned and what is the specific action directed towards each one?
What overarching attitude are we commanded to have as we engage with all three of these groups?
The sermon described the "unruly" as those who are "disorderly, which means that it describes a soldier who does not remain in the ranks." [14:17] What visual picture does this create for their behavior within the church community?
What does the command to "help the weak" imply about the type of support that is needed, beyond just words?

Interpretation questions

Why is it necessary to have different approaches—admonishment, encouragement, and help—for different types of struggles within the body of Christ?
The sermon states that ministry to messy people "require(s) some intimacy in fellowship." [33:29] How does the command to "be patient with them all" protect both the helper and the one being helped during this intimate process?
In Mark 2:17, Jesus says he came for those who know they are sinners, not those who think they are righteous. How does this truth from the gospel frame our understanding of why the church must be a place for messy people?
What might be the consequences for a church community if it only practices one of these commands (e.g., only admonishes, but never encourages or helps)?

Application questions

Considering the three categories—unruly, fainthearted, weak—which one do you most identify with in your current season of life? Who in your immediate circle of relationships might fall into one of these categories and need a specific type of support?
Admonishment is described as "corrective encouragement rather than punitive judgment" that must be done with "brotherly or sisterly love." [17:48] What is one practical step you can take to ensure your correction of someone else comes from a heart of restoration and not frustration or anger?
Encouragement requires "getting near, speaking tenderly, and walking the difficult stretch alongside someone." [22:44] Who is one person you know who is fainthearted or discouraged? What is one tangible way you can draw near to them this week to offer Christ-centered comfort?
Helping the weak involves "hands‑on support—bearing burdens, restoring in gentleness, and teaching self‑discipline." [30:39] What is a burden you could help bear for someone this week? How can you offer practical aid, not just advice, to someone trapped in a cycle of weakness?
The call is to "love messy people; leave results" to God, responding with patience and refusing retaliation. [32:20] When you have been hurt or frustrated by a messy person, what is a specific way you can choose patience and trust God with the outcome instead of reacting?
The church grows "when the sheep take care of other sheep." [33:41] How does this truth challenge the consumer mentality of coming to church only to be fed? What is one way you can move from being a consumer to a caregiver within your spiritual community?
Everyone bears messiness because of sin. How does openly acknowledging your own messiness change the way you view and treat the messiness in others?

Sermon Clips

And here's what that looks like in action. Paul tells us in Galatians chapter six he said brethren if anyone is caught in a trespass you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Each one looking to yourself so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another's burdens and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. [00:30:28] (29 seconds) #RestoreInGentleness

We all a mess but thanks be unto god. He can take us out of our mess. Well, you're looking at me funny. Your text says, for the wages of sin is the death. It said, for all have sinned and falling short of the glory of god and if you know that you're a sinner saved by god's grace, you ought to tell god thank you for looking beyond your fault. You ought to tell god thank you because he died on an old rugged cross. You ought to tell god thank you that he did what he did in your life. [00:37:40] (44 seconds) #ThankGodForGrace

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How to Minister to Messy People" - Pastor Michael O. Oyedokun, II, M. Div.

Devotional

Day 1: Acknowledging Our Own Messiness Before God

Day 2: Admonishing Those Who Are Unruly in Action

Day 3: Encouraging Those Who Are Feeble-Minded in Approach

Day 4: Supporting Those Who Are Weak in Attitude

Day 5: Embracing Patience and Love for All

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

How to Minister to Messy People" - Pastor Michael O. Oyedokun, II, M. Div.

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