When Ahab took possession of Naboth’s vineyard, he may have thought the matter was settled. But God saw the murder, the theft, the excuses, and the rebellion. The Lord sent Elijah to speak plainly: Ahab had murdered and taken possession.

In this sermon from 1 Kings 21:17–29, Ben Smith shows why God’s people must be faithful to speak truth in every season. Biblical confrontation is not rooted in anger or malice, but in love, compassion, and the desire that sinners would repent and be restored to the Lord.

The cost of faithful obedience does not negate the worthiness and value of Scripture’s commands. The difficulty or unpleasantness of a task does not mean that the task is unnecessary or a worthless pursuit.

Church discipline is hard, relationally taxing, and requires significant attention and energy from the church. This level of investment and cost was causing the Thessalonian church to grow weary, and some were surely tempted to give up or give in. In our day, many church members are weary from the excessive commitments they have made outside of the church. This leads them to be unprepared and with little tolerance or energy for the mental attention, emotional fortitude, and spiritual determination required for church discipline. Additionally, our culture places great importance on preserving the individual’s self-esteem, emotional stability, and autonomy. Any attempt to express judgment towards an individual is countercultural and generally rejected. The church is not immune to these cultural forces and is often tempted to compromise biblical fidelity for the sake of cultural acceptance.

In this passage, Paul pleads with the church to faithfully endure in church discipline, regardless of how difficult the task may be.