Share your life with a Sing Minded, Heart United, Loyal Love toward your brothers and sisters (Hebrews 13:10-16)

The Danger of Apathetic Disconnect

This week I was privileged to speak to a missionary whom God brought stateside after twenty years in the mission field of Papua New Guinea. In our discussion he lamented how apathetic and disconnected the American church has become over the last twenty years. The missionary asked,

“Jason, why are so many of God’s people apathetic to the Great Commission? Why is there such a disconnect of the church from the concerns of God? No one in the church seems to care that people are perishing to hell for all eternity.” Derrick Dobbs

Apathy is simply a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern about something.

“Spiritual apathy in the church, as I see it, is a lack of affection, interest, or concern about the things that God is most affectionate towards, interested in, or concerned about.”

Spiritual apathy does not happen in a vacuum. All of you remember a time when your affections for the Lord were inflamed, the Bible kept you attention for hours on end, and your prayed fervently for everyone you could think of who needed the salvation work of Jesus. Then you got distracted and your Christian faith simmered down.

Apathy is the result of letting your love grow cold, or as Richard Baxter sees it, taking your eyes off the prize.

Richard Baxter was a puritan in the mid 1600’s. Just as Ecclesiastes says, “nothing changes under the sun,” so Baxter saw apathy in the church during his ministry. Much like the missionary I spoke too, he mourns spiritual apathy in the church when he says,

“It is a most lamentable thing to see how most men do spend their care, their time, their pains, for known vanities, while God and glory are cast aside; that He who is all should seem to them as nothing, and that which is nothing should seem to them as good as all; that God should set mankind in such a race where heaven or hell is their certain end, and that they should sit down, and loiter, or run after the childish toys of the world, and so much forget the prize that they should run for. “ (Richard Baxter “Making Light of Christ and Salvation”)

There are two dangers to apathy. The first is there is a disconnect of the three spheres of life: church, community, and home. Spiritual apathy disconnects the three spheres from each other, as if to believe that each one does not affect the other. For example, in the cultural mindset of our day, even among conservative circles, is whatever you do in your bedroom is your business. It is with this lens conservatives view the LGBTQ agenda. You want to be gay? Fine. Be gay, but do not force your lifestyle on me. What you do in your bedroom is your business.” That mindset comes from separating the three spheres into individual circles. The church has no authority in your home life, and your home life has no bearing on your church or community life. Nothing can be further from the truth.

God has wired all three to intertwine together. All three impact each other in some capacity. Surely the church would have something to say if a professing believer was committing infidelity in their bedroom? Surely the church would not condone shady business practices in the community? In no way can the community and home enjoy God’s favor and prosperity if the church is breathing out heresy? You cannot separate the three spheres of life. Apathy threatens that bond and unity.

The second danger of spiritual apathy is that it hardens your heart with deceit threatening your perseverance to the end.

Jesus warns us in the last days that the love of many will grow cold, that is they will become apathetic to the things of Jesus (Matthew 24:12), suggesting that many will fall away from the faith. They will become deceived by sin. The writer of Hebrews warns against the danger of falling away from the faith because of the deceitfulness of sin when he says,

Hebrews 3:13–14 (ESV)

But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Strongly encourage each other every day to hold fast in the Lord, to not let your love grow. cold, so that none of you have a hardened heart by the deceitfulness of sin. If your love does grow cold, if your heart becomes apathetic to the things of God, you run the risk of not enduring until the end. The entire book of Hebrews is a warning about endurance, persevering until the end. By the time you read the last chapter author couples together an imperative for the church to let brotherly love continue and show sacrificial hospitality to even strangers. For who knows, maybe you even entertain angels (Hebrews 13:1-2). Then a few verses later, He goes on to say share your life together;

Hebrews 13:16 (ESV)

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

What is the connection between hospitality, doing good, and sharing your life together at the end of a letter meant to warn its readers about enduring until the end? In my estimation, he does this because in God’s economy of things, hospitality, doing good for each other, and sharing your life together, strengthens the connection of church, community, and home by protecting your heart from spiritual apathy so that you can remain in Christ until the very end. Or, to state it positively,

Protect your heart from spiritual apathy by sacrificing your life and sharing your kingdom with a single minded, heart united, persevering loyal love for Jesus’ and His church.

Sacrifice is the thematic thread of the text.

One of the dominate themes of Hebrews 13:10-16, is sacrifice. In verse 10, the word “alter” conveys something an animal was slaughtered for religious purposes. In the context of Hebrews 13, it likely refers to the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross, and his atonement for sinners. The word sacrifice is mentioned twice and alluded to in verse 11. The idea of sacrifice is put forth in three contexts.

Sacrifice of suffering (Hebrews 13:13)

In verse 13, the writer of Hebrews calls the church to go with Christ outside the camp to endure the same reproach Christ endured. This is call to suffer with Jesus and for Jesus int his life.

Sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15)

Because of Jesus’ atonement for sinners, there is no longer a need for a sacrifice for sin. In Christ the believer offer up a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God. That is, living your life confessing Jesus’ name, as Lord, and in appreciation for the atoning work he has done for you. A sacrifice of praise also consists of gratitude to the Lord.

Sacrifice of a shared life (Hebrews 13:16)

Here is where we land this morning in our text. Jesus calls you to sacrifice your life, that is serve your brothers and sisters by doing good to each other. He also says to share your kingdom with the church in a manner the reflects his kind of sacrificial giving to the church. The writer of Hebrews grounds his call for you to do good and share your life in two massive realities: Jesus’ atonement and your future inheritance. With this in mind, church I commend you to,

Ransom your life to serve the church because Jesus sacrificed His to serve you (Hebrews 13:10-13)

The writer of Hebrews says we have an alter which those who serve the tent have no right to eat (Hebrews 13:10). The author is likely answering an objection by some who were saying that Christians do not have an alter, like the Jews. The writer has been making a distinction throughout the entire letter between Judaism and Christianity. Jews still sacrificed animals on an alter to atone for sins.

In the Old Covenant, priests would have to continuously slaughter and animal on an alter for the sins of the people. Then the priest would carry the remains of the animal out of the camp to finish the work of atonement (Hebrews 13:11). For Christians, however, Jesus’ cross become and everlasting alter. In the same manner as the high priest in the temple, Christ walked the via del a rosa outside the city as the Great High priest and the perfect sacrifice to a cross on which he laid himself upon to die and forever atone for the sins of His elect (Hebrews 13:12).

Christians no longer need a high priest, or a holy temple, or an alter. Jesus is our Great High priest. Jesus is our sufficient sacrifice for the atonement of our sins. His death on the cross makes you at-one with God. Your guilt is removed and peace is restored between you and the Father. This is how Jesus does good to you. He lays down his life to serve your life, and he calls you to do the same.

The main idea of suffering in this context consist of bearing the reproach of Jesus in a lost and fallen world under the influence of Satan. It comes in the form of persecution and hardship. The other side of the coin of suffering, however, is sacrifice serving your brothers and sisters, and your neighbors, for their good. The writer of Hebrews says, “do good to each other.” The sacrificial good the author may be speaking of can be seen on the front end of chapter 13.

Hebrews 13:1–3 (ESV)

Let brotherly love continue.

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.

Love your brothers/sisters by serving them. Open your home and share your life with the church, and even strangers. Visit those who are suffering for Jesus sake. Sacrifice your life doing good to the church, community, and home.

Another ways to think of it is, Jesus calls all of his followers to take up their cross and follow him. One way to pick up your cross and follow him is to share your life the way he did. Just has he has shared his life as a sacrifice for you, to do good for you, to serve you, you also are invited to serve others. Jesus also says,

Mark 10:45 (ESV)

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

You look most like Jesus and act like Jesus when you ransom your life to sacrificially serve others by doing good to them.

One of the concerns the leadership has at FBCL is the degree to which we are connected as a body of believers. We want the church to be deeply connected to Christ and each other; to Christ because His is the vine and apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:1-6) and to each other because, in part, we guard each other from the dangers of spiritual apathy. If we are going to strengthen the bonds of our unity in Christ, all of us must do good by ransoming our lives to serve each other. This will require sacrifice of your part. Just as Jesus gave up his comfort of heaven, you may be called to give up some of the comforts of your western life. Just as Jesus sacrificed his life to ensure his people would be welcomed into heaven, so must you sacrifice parts of your life to how hospitality to your brothers and sisters.but your sacrifice will be pleasing to the Lord because it will honor His Son’s greatest sacrifice.

I like the way Oswald Chambers looked at sacrifice. He said,

“Our notion of sacrifice is the wringing out of us something we don’t want to give up, full of pain and agony and distress. The Bible idea of sacrifice is that I give as a love-gift the very best thing I have.”

Oswald Chambers

Give the best very best you have to the Lord and to his people. Ransom your life to serve others modeling the kind of sacrifice Jesus gave for you. by this you will be doing good for your brothers and sisters.

Share your earthly kingdom with the church because God shares his eternal kingdom with you (Hebrews 13:14-15)

The writer of Hebrews reminds his readers that Jesus atoned for their sins and that their citizenship is not tied to earth but to heaven.

Hebrews 13:14–15 (ESV)

For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

God has promised his people a future home, a permanent home, where rust and moth cannot destroy. It is a kingdom where Peter describes it as imperishable, undefiled, unfading, and being kept in heaven by God’s power for you (1 Peter 1:4-5). All of this is accomplished for you by the atonement of Jesus’s death and resurrection. This world is not your home, but God has sealed for you for an enteral inheritance. In light of this, therefore, offer up your life as sacrifice of praise, confessing Jesus as Lord to a lost and dying world by sharing your kingdom with your brothers and sisters.

Dr. Albert Mohler Jr. explains as people of God’s kingdom, of the new covenant,

“We offer ourselves and lift a sacrifice of praise through the blood of Jesus Christ through our lips, which acknowledge God. Believers offer up a sacrifice of praise to God when they profess faith in Christ and express their gratitude to God through worship. A natural expression of this kind of praise is found in a desire to meet the needs of believers in the church. Doing good to others and surrendering our possessions as an act of love is a pleasing sacrifice to the Lord that brings God much glory.” Albert Mohler Jr.

The fruit of knowing your sins are forgiven and that Jesus has transferred you out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light, and that you have an inheritance in heaven, is that you can now surrender your possessions in this world as an act of love, a pleasing sacrifice to the Lord. You can ransom you life in service to others just as Jesus did, and you can share you earthly kingdom with others, just as Jesus does.

The writer of Hebrews uses a familiar word in the New Testament, (κοινωνίας), for the word “share.” It most cases it refers to giving to meet the material needs of others. For example, in Philippians 4:18, the Philippian church gave a financial gift to Paul’s ministry. Paul describes it as a fragrant offering and an acceptable sacrifice. The church sacrificed their money, and I would add they did it in poverty, to care for Paul.

For us at FBCL, sharing your earthly kingdom will require us to sacrifice our time, talent, and treasure. In Christ, we will have the privilege to open our homes to the church, even strangers, to fellowship over a meal and to pray together. There will be opportunities take up love offerings, carry the material burdens of our brothers and sisters, meeting the earthly needs of our church family. With our minds set on our eternal inheritance we can, as William Hendrickson says, practice the grace of sharing, storing up treasures in heaven, gifts for himself. Your giving becomes an investment for eternal rewards.

As a westerner, especially as an American, we have to fight hard to remember our life is not 70 to 80 years, but an eternity. Remember the illustration of the shoe string. Your life is the little plastic piece on the end of a shoe lace. Your eternity is the rest of the lace. Your life will be most lived in eternity. Eternity is where you want to invest for the future. The Bible says this world with all of its lusts is passing away. Jesus commends you this morning to seek first His kingdom and its righteousness (Matthew 6:33-34).

You invest in your eternity by sharing your earthly kingdom with your brothers and sisters in Christ. You open your home, your food, your money, your cars, your pools, your backyards, your time, your energy, your prayers, your counsel, your friendship, everything to the Lord for His glory, your joy, and the good of your brothers and sisters. This kind of heart attitude pleases the Lord.

Sacrificial Sharing Pleases God (Hebrews 13:16)

Hebrews 13:16 (ESV)

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Your sacrificial serving and giving of your earthly kingdom pleases the Lord because it honors the heart of His Son. Jesus’ life and ministry is all about finding joy in sacrifice. The writer of Hebrews says, “For the joy set before the Lord Jesus endured the cross, despising its shame (Hebrews 12:2).” Paul says of a life lived as a sacrificial offering is one to rejoice;

Philippians 2:17–18 (ESV)

Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

In God’s kingdom, sacrifice that is joy filled is valued and honored, and Christ is the epitome, the par excellence, the supreme example of joy filled sacrifice. You look and act like Jesus the most when you sacrificially serve and share your life sacrificially with ja heart joy toward your brothers and sisters. Of course God is pleased with that work. It honors his Son!

Brothers and sisters, examine you heart and see if apathy has grabbed hold of you. Apathy will not stir your heart to serve sacrificially or share your earthly kingdom with God’s people. It will not let you develop deep relationships that strengthen the bond of unity in the church. It will spur your heart to grumble and complain at even the thought of such a ransomed lifestyle.

We have an opportunity to experience true intimate, good, and godly relationships with each other. We have the potential to invite strangers into our fellowship and give them a taste of our eternity. Our home fellowship groups are the beginning of a network of relationships that stoke the fire of our love for Jesus until the church, community, and home joyfully abide in Jesus.

So, when you share your life and your earthly kingdom with joy from a heart that desires what God desires, is interested it what God is interested in, and concerned about what he is concerned about, he is pleased with your good works.