2007 Book of Hebrews Series –
“Finally!”
Hebrews 13:1-6
Sermon preached at Curwensville Presbyterian Church – October 14, 2007
Prayer Introduction: Let’s pray and get right into our passage this morning…We pray now for the preacher in the pulpit. He is not worthy, but by your grace he is able. And so it is through Jesus Christ that we pray – Amen!
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I. Sermon Introduction
Finally, we get to some real practical application. Finally, the author of Hebrews tells us how we are to live our lives. Finally, we hear about loving one another, sexual purity and contentment. Finally!
Notice that the practical application comes AT THE END – chapter 13 – after 12 chapters focused on understanding the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If it were put at the beginning it would be nothing more than secular moralism – or religious legalism – or Mormonism – religion instead of relationship.
Wow do people want that. Dr. Phil, Oprah, all of the talk shows. They are all trying to define right from wrong – with a man-made basis for defining right from wrong:
Pragmatists – if it works it must be right [but right for who?]
Religionists – if it helps my religion it must be right [but whose religion?]
Politicians – if it helps my political party/platform [but which party?]
Individualism – if it doesn’t hurt anyone, [i.e. anyone that I know and care about]
Christian – if it brings glory to God…
God isn’t just trying to make us good people. God wants us to know Him, to draw near to him, because that is what changes us.
You cannot begin to talk about how to live, unless you know the one who gives us life. You cannot begin to talk about how to live, unless you understand why we don’t already live that way.
Why don’t we naturally love one another, remain sexually pure and live contently; because in our fallen, sinful, nature – in rebellion against the God who made us – we love ourselves, enjoy sexual immorality and possessions.
Telling a person – who isn’t looking to the Lord – to live a righteous life will have one of three results: (1) a yawn – “nobody’s perfect, so why try”; (2) anger – “who are you to judge me”; or (3) self-righteous legalism – “yes, everyone should be more like me.”
You’ve heard the story about the woman who said to the pastor, “That was a great sermon, pastor, everything you said applies to someone I know.”
Those who think that we should pursue morality apart from faith are the same people who ask why “so and so” isn’t in church, instead of being concerned that that person doesn’t know Jesus.
Of course there are people who don’t come to church, who don’t serve on a committee, who choose secular activities over spiritual activities, who…
They may not be believers – and are naturally rebelling against the Lord – on there way to eternal judgment. At best, they are believers – but actively rebelling against the Lord. A dangerous place to be.
We cannot simply bring them back to church and morality; we need to bring them to the Lord!
II. Entertaining Angels (vv.1-3)
And so after chapter upon chapter urging us to draw near to God – the author of Hebrews comes to the most basic, most vital of practical applications to the Christian – love one another: “Keep on loving each other as brothers.”
Two quick thoughts on this: (1) Love each other “as brothers” = brothers refers to fellow Christians. We are to love not just our biological family, but also our church family. In fact, God’s Word places an emphasis on loving the church family.
When Jesus was told that his mother and brothers were nearby, he said, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50).
And
And (2) Love is a verb involving action. They say it is the thought that counts – in reference to a gift given; but a thought – by itself – doesn’t count for much.
Have you ever run into someone you haven’t seen in awhile and they say, “I was recently thinking about you.” And I want to say, “Ah, gee, thanks…I didn’t get you anything.”
We shouldn’t
just be thinking about people that we claim to love. We ought to be praying for
them, and calling on them, and doing good to them.
We, in Pennsylvania especially, should know about brotherly love – after all we have Philadelphia: The City of Brotherly Love. Christians should be the people of brotherly love. We love our Christian brothers and sisters, because we are loved by God.
Verse 2 tells us to entertain strangers, remembering Abraham and Gideon and Manoah who were visited by strangers who turned out to be angels of the Lord. Again, two quick thoughts: (1) Entertaining strangers doesn’t mean a song and a dance, though it can. Certainly it means hospitality. Inviting fellow believers to dinner has been lost.
And (2) We are called to entertain, to show love, to strangers. We’ve joked about how people in Curwensville don’t know what to do with strangers. Yet, again, this past week I was trying to meet someone I didn’t know. I said, “Hi, my name is Dan.” And they said, “Hi.” And I said, “And you are.” They replied, “Oh, I’m her mother.” Okay, I still don’t know your name.
In the church, you look at unfamiliar faces and ask me afterwards, “Who was that.” What we need to do is see an unfamiliar face AND INTRODUCE OURSELVES.”
At the Deacon meeting this past Tuesday we talked about people the Deacons should visit. And they said, “What if we don’t know them.” And I said, “All the more.”
Verse 3 tells us to remember those in prison. This, in its original context, referred especially to those who were imprisoned for their faith. The people were being persecuted – “mistreated” – as verse 3 puts it.
Verses 1-3 tells us to love as those who are loved. Especially to love our fellow Christians, including (especially) strangers and those who are being mistreated.
III. The Marriage Bed (v.4)
Verse 4 takes us to the morality issue that most makes the headlines. Sexual morality. Last Tuesday, when we talked about denominational issues I said (again) that the “homosexual issue” is not the main issue. It is simply the one getting the most press. The biggest problem is abandoning the gospel and the Bible as God’s revealed Word.
As soon as you start talking about sexual issues people will say, “That’s just your opinion.”
“No, it is not – it is God’s Word.”
“That’s just your interpretation of the Bible.”
So you see, that the issue is one that is deeply rooted in misunderstanding the Bible – not recognizing the Bible as God’s inerrant, infallible, inspired, perfect Word. If we don’t get that, than we can’t get the rest.
Homosexuality is a sin.
So is premarital sex.
So is pornography.
So is a romance novel.
Adultery – in heart and/or in action are sinful rebellion against God.
There are two common responses: “That’s your opinion, or your interpretation;”
and/or “well, no one’s perfect.”
Notice how no one says that in response to the rapist, murderer, child abuser. No one brushes those sins away saying, “Well, no one’s perfect.”
It is true that no one, but Christ, is perfect; yet, Christ came so that we could become more and more like him.
We must not, must not, must not, dismiss our sin as no big deal – because “no one’s perfect.” That is the rebellion in its full glory.
We must, we must, we must, seek to mortify all of our sins by the power of the cross of Christ.
Charles Spurgeon – “Sin cannot be held in with bit and bridle; it must be mortified.”
The good news is that sexual sins, like any other sin, can be mortified like any other sin – and need to be!
IV. Contentment (vv.5-6)
Verse 5 begins, “Keep your lives free from the love of money.” And then tells us how, “be content with what you have.”
Contentment is the
key. Be content with what you have.
We often don’t feel like we have enough – but we do. Just because we don’t have as much as someone else, doesn’t mean we don’t have enough. The Apostle Paul said, I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11-12 [the context of 13]).
The love of money is the root of many kinds of evil. It is rooted in discontentment. We seek contentment in the things of the world, rather than in God, himself.
That’s why the author of Hebrews – quotes two Old Testament passages reminding us that we need to find our contentment in God alone:
“Never will I
leave you; never will I forsake you” says
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” says Psalm 118:6-7.
Where are you seeking contentment, other than in the Lord? We gluttons seek refuge in food for comfort, instead of seeking refuge in the Lord. Some look for contentment in drinking, others turn to pornography, instead of the Lord.
And so many of us turn to work and busyness, instead of the Lord. The promise we must lean on is that the Lord will never leave us or forsake us. Turn to him.
There it is – finally – some practical application. There are now four possible responses: (1) a yawn – “nobody’s perfect, so why try – is it time to go yet”; (2) anger – “who are you to judge me”; (3) self-righteous legalism – “yes, everyone should be more like me”; or (4) seeking the Lord – “O God draw me near to you, that you might change me – cause me to love others, because you love me; make me pure and holy, because you are holy; and make me content in you.”
Our life, as Christians, must flow out of our understanding of the gospel so that – confronted by our sin – we will go to the cross of Christ, the throne of grace. This is the message of Hebrews; it is the message of the Bible – “ruin by the Fall, righteousness by Christ, and regeneration by the Spirit.”
We sin, because we are fallen creatures. We are saved, not by our righteousness, but by Christ’s righteousness. We are changed – justified and sanctified – by the working of the Spirit.
Come to the cross with your sin. Come to the throne of grace.
To say “God loves me” is an empty statement if we do not understand both the undeserved mercy of his love (seeing our sin), and the transforming nature of his love (seeing our sanctification). Come.
MAY THE TRUTH SET YOU FREE – AMEN!