Folks, as we move to the very last chapter of Hebrews, we continue to be blessed by a God who loves us! Let me remind you of what we’ve learned together this summer. What has God done for us in the past? What is God doing for us today? And what will God be doing for us in the future? Our God is a God who has given us…
HIS WORD … and JESUS as the perfect Messenger…
REST … as only God can give…
Jesus as a HIGH PRIEST … and we now need no other…
A DESIRE TO GROW in our relationship to him—to grow up in our faith, growing closer to God…
HOPE & DILIGENCE … to carry on in this world…
The PERFECT SACRIFICE in Jesus (the Real Thing), which enables us to be empowered for this life and to forgive, which allows us to go on…
The gift of HOLY BOLDNESS, allowing us to enter God’s throne room at any time, because we are his kids…
The gift of FAITH, that then gives us both obedience in our relationship to God … and vision—that we might believe in the future God has for us…
The gift of his DISCIPLINE, that we might stay on track and be able to persevere until He comes again…
Now, today, we find out about ONE MORE GIFT God so graciously gives us—the gift of COMMUNITY … and, folks, it’s a strange one—a community like no other. The world has never seen a community like God has put together! And it is a gift from God! But, like many gifts we’re given, what we do with the gift is up to us…
One thing’s for sure, we cannot take credit for any of it, can we? COMMUNITY, as God’s designed it, is totally a gift from Him… As we move into the final chapter of Hebrews, we’re going to concentrate on a few verses that really speak to the dynamics of this COMMUNITY that God has given to us. Listen now to our lesson for today (Hebrews 13:1-2, 7-17, NLT):
1Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. 2 Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! …
7 Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them. 10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp.12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. 13 So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. 15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. 17 Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit. – Hebrews 13:1-17 (NLT)
So, God now gives us all the support we need in this life—the gift of COMMUNITY; and what does that COMMUNITY look like? That’s where we’re going today…
Folks, this COMMUNITY that God gives us is one where … LOVE COMES FIRST. Verse 1 tells us, “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.” Since it’s God’s word we’re dealing with here, it goes without saying that this involves loving God first, then loving each other with the love of God … now living in us… LOVE GOD, LOVE PEOPLE … right? Scripture speaks over & over about this dynamic of the community God desires us to be: LOVE HAS TO COME FIRST…
This COMMUNITY that God gives us is one where … HOSPITALITY IS A PRIORITY. Verse 2 reminds us, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” Have you ever considered the truth of this verse before? Has it ever altered your actions toward another? I hope so … because, the truth is, we don’t know … but God does! We’ll be a COMMUNITY that takes the ministry of hospitality VERY seriously! (I’m going to save v. 7—combine it with v. 17…)
This COMMUNITY that God gives us is one where … WE HONOR & TRUST JESUS CHRIST. He is the object of our faith; he is the center of all that we do … and we can trust him. What did verse 8 say again? “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” ‘Short verse … but VERY profound!
Let me ask you this: Who are the friends you appreciate most in life? My guess is … those who are there for you, or those whose love for you does not waver, depending on circumstances…
Jesus is that kind of friend. He is always the same. His love is always the same in your life … and he’ll never waver on that! And Jesus is the mirror image of God; don’t forget that!
This COMMUNITY that God gives us is one where… WE DON’T GET SIDE-TRACKED ON WHAT’S NOT OF GOD. Verse 9 goes on to tell us, “So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.” (And then the author goes on to talk about differences specifically between Judaism [Old Covenant] and Christianity [New Covenant]…) Those who’d moved from the Jewish faith to become followers of Christ really struggled with new ways of looking at things—especially in the area of diet; “But … we’ve never done it that way before!” was their cry…
And, don’t we have the same struggles sometimes, as God moves the Church to new ways of reaching people for Christ? So often, people have a tendency to put things above relationships; but, that’s not the way this COMMUNITY does it! Relationships will always trump any situation we find ourselves in; people always come first with God…
Then, this COMMUNITY that God gives us is one where … WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING TOWARD ETERNITY! Look at verse 14 with me: “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”
Yes, we have our feet planted firmly in this world we live in, but always with a HOPE that there’s more to life than just this! If we’d always consider eternity when making thing that I feel so strongly about … really matter in light of eternity?” In other words, will there be eternal consequences regarding what I’m currently expending so much energy on … or not? Ours is a community that will always be looking at things in light of ETERNITY…
This COMMUNITY that God gives us is one where … WE’RE ALWAYS ABOUT PRAISE! Verse 15 clearly states, “Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.” And, folks, we’ll be doing this because … GOD IS THIS REAL TO US!
So, when do you praise God? Just at weekend worship? Or, do you take the time to praise God…
When you get up in the morning?
When you’re having your breakfast?
When you’re on your way to work?
When you’re coming home from work (I bet this is popular!)?
When you’re family has the opportunity to be together? And so forth…
We need to be a COMMUNITY—whether together or not, who is ALWAYS ABOUT PRAISE!
This COMMUNITY that God gives us is one where … WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING OUT FOR THOSE LESS FORTUNATE. Verse 16 gives us a reminder: “And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.” This is the SERVE GOD by SERVING OTHERS part of God’s VISION for our church… No more animal sacrifices needed—only the sacrifice of our lives in service to Christ…
And finally, this COMMUNITY that God gives us is one where … WE’RE RESPECTFUL OF AND SUPPORTIVE OF GOD’S LEADERSHIP. Now, I’m getting back to verse 7, which bookends our scripture for today, along with verse 17. “Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.” … “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.”
It’s not easy being a leader—even (or maybe, especially) God’s leader, so regarding those leaders called by God to watch over souls, we need to be a COMMUNITY who cooperates in that work … cheerfully (according to scripture)…
“Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow.” I can’t help but think of my 5th Grade teacher, Mrs. Joyce Mau. In hindsight, I thought I was a pretty funny 5th grader … but, I’m most sure that Mrs. Mau didn’t think so. Oh, she was Christ-like about the whole year we spent together, but that didn’t mean I didn’t spend a lot of time in the principal’s office; I did…
One example from that year was the morning I walked to school after an evening of rain … and the night crawlers were out in force … stretched all across the streets on the way to school. I just couldn’t help myself! I thought it would be hilarious to pick up a few of those squirmy creatures … and somehow sneak them into Mrs. Mau’s pencil tray in her middle desk drawer. I did. I thought I was getting her goat, but it seems I’ve paid for that little stunt ever since. Not too long after moving to Dodgeville, I received a card … with these [show gummy worms] in it…
“Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow.” But, are we? I have to ask myself how I treat my District Superintendent & Bishop … and other Conference leaders? In this COMMUNITY, we all have someone we need to cooperate with, for the sake of the Gospel…
Folks, how much does God love us? I hope & pray that you have at least an inkling, after studying Hebrews together this summer. The truth is this: God wants us to have his very best! The question now is: Are we willing to receive it? Are we willing to give our lives as living sacrifices … to accomplish His mission! Let it begin with COMMUNITY…