Commitment and Contentment
Notes
Transcript
introduction
The third part of Hebrews is neatly outlined with what has been historically known as the “three theological virtues”. These are faith, hope and love.
Chapter 11 had the men and women of faith, who were worthy of our following.
Chapter 12 has warnings and essential advice to help believers stand strong in hope and endure the marathon of the Christian life.
Now we examine the Christian’s life of love for God and love for others.
The author becomes increasingly more personal, more encouraging and even more practical.
We aren’t going to be analyzing OT scripture as it relates to what the author is saying.
What we are going too cover is the wide spectrum of concerns for a personal, practical response.
We are going to see how we are going to view the horizon of life-specifically how we should treat each other in the body of Christ.
It’s only 7 verses doesn’t seem like much but the fast appeals will keep us on our toes as we ask the question, “Am I giving sufficient time and attention to this matter?”
Let brotherly love continue. Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it. Remember those in prison, as though you were in prison with them, and the mistreated, as though you yourselves were suffering bodily.
These first three verses set the tone for this chapter. Each one demands from us a personal response.
Let brotherly love continue. Brotherly love is one of many application for the singular version of love. “Philadelphia”.
This word is a compound word. The first word, “philos”, means “kindly disposed, devoted.” This would be the love of a close friendship.
The second word is “adelphos”, means brother.
When you put these together, you get the close, intimate love between family members.
This puts in motion how we should live in a close loving community with people who aren’t blood relatives but who share fellowship based on a common bond.
The common bond that Christians share is Christ. Since we are children of the Father, that makes us spiritual brothers and sisters.
When you have this type of relationship, it requires things. We don’t just attend spiritual meetings the same time every week. We need to maintain philadelphia by taking seriously our identity as members of the same, permanent spiritual family.
This relationship doesn’t just stay in the church. It has to go outside. All too often, churches and church groups become ingrown, exclusive and cliquish.
The author intentionally uses two words that end differently here.
We need to maintain philadelphia, but also philoxenia.
Most of you have heard the word xenophobic. What does this mean? The fear of strangers “xenos”. Those on the outside. Those who are not like us.
The way we love the brethren, philadelphia, we are to show love for strangers, philoxenia.
Picture this, you are a traveler on a long, dusty road on your way to a remote destination. The only options you have to stay in are seedy hostels. Your concerns for your safety and the property that you have keep you up at night.
What would you do?
Then you come across a man and his wife, with a smile on their faces and a pat on the back, invite you their home to sleep for the night.
There you have a locked door, a warm meal and a comfortable bed. You also witness something you haven’t seen before-a family that actually shows love and respect for each other.
Also, they have friends who stop by and share provisions for your on your journey. They meet each other in the name of someone named “Jesus”. They pray to God for you and share the story of hope-forgiveness of sins, resurrection from the dead, eternal life as a free gift of grace.
How much better is this than a night in some Inn?
You leave refreshed, both physically and spiritually. When you come to the next city, you might look for this group of men and women called the church.
This is how its supposed to work. We are to extend love for those within and outside of our community with a relationship with Christ as our main focus.
There is another dimension of hospitality slipped in here.
By showing hospitality towards strangers, some people have actually entertained angels.
The Greek word is “angelos”. This can simply mean human messengers like in Luke 7:24.
After John’s messengers left, he began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?
This doesn’t seem to fit here though. These are not messengers of the gospel, but strangers who are outside the fellowship of Christ.
The author is probably alluding to OT episodes where people literally hosted angelic beings.
The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day. He looked up, and he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, bowed to the ground, and said, “My lord, if I have found favor with you, please do not go on past your servant. Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. I will bring a bit of bread so that you may strengthen yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. Later, you can continue on.”
“Yes,” they replied, “do as you have said.”
So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Knead three measures of fine flour and make bread.” Abraham ran to the herd and got a tender, choice calf. He gave it to a young man, who hurried to prepare it. Then Abraham took curds and milk, as well as the calf that he had prepared, and set them before the men. He served them as they ate under the tree.
“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.
“There, in the tent,” he answered.
The Lord said, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year’s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him.
Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. So she laughed to herself: “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I have delight?”
But the Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Can I really have a baby when I’m old?’ Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son.”
Sarah denied it. “I did not laugh,” she said, because she was afraid.
But he replied, “No, you did laugh.”
The men got up from there and looked out over Sodom, and Abraham was walking with them to see them off. Then the Lord said, “Should I hide what I am about to do from Abraham? Abraham is to become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him so that he will command his children and his house after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. This is how the Lord will fulfill to Abraham what he promised him.” Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is immense, and their sin is extremely serious. I will go down to see if what they have done justifies the cry that has come up to me. If not, I will find out.”
The men turned from there and went toward Sodom while Abraham remained standing before the Lord.
We go from internal relationships, to stranger relationships to relationships with prisoners.
Remember those in prison, as though you were in prison with them, and the mistreated, as though you yourselves were suffering bodily.
This was most likely a reference to those brothers and sisters who had been victims of persecution and incarceration for their faith. This could also apply to those whoo have been marginalized or cast out by society.
We are told to open our homes to strangers. Now we are told to open our hearts and hands-to go to those who may be forgotten.
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
“ ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’
“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
We are too sympathize with their situation and where we can, alleviate their alienation by offering our love.
Marriage is to be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, because God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
At the time of this writing, many held a low view of marriage. Some believed that marriage was an indulgence of the flesh and emphasized celibacy instead.
Others would look at marriage as an irrelevant commitment, preferring to engage in fornication and all sorts of deviant practices that destroyed the family and relationships in them.
It was a convention and not a conviction.
Here, the author says it should be honored. The marriage bed-the most intimate, personal aspect of the husband-and-wife relationship-should be kept undefiled.
The relationship should never be broken by adultery or defiled by fornication, both of which fall under judgment of God.
The term pornos (translated “fornication”) in Greek does have a general meaning of a sexually immoral person and can refer to those who commit sexual sins in general, homosexual or heterosexual, outside of marriage.
However, used in conjunction with moichos, “adulterer,” pornos is probably best translated in its more restricted sense of “fornication,” with reference to anyone who violates another’s marriage by engaging in sexual relations with either partner in that marriage.
Since we live in a corrupt world, we shouldn’t expect to be able to reverse the destructive ideas and practices that mark our modern society.
But we can attend to our own marriages and set an example of purity, sanctity, and faithfulness.
This is how we honor the marriage relationship and press on toward maturity by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you. Therefore, we may boldly say,
The Lord is my helper;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
Verses 1-4 can be summed up in one word: commitment.
The next few verses focus on another priority: contentment.
We need to be at peace with what we have as well as with our position in life.
Don’t get caught up in the rat race of trying to collect more and more, but being satisfied with what God provides.
First, we look at the material things. This is discussed multiple times throughout the Bible.
I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need.
Paul also instructed Timothy in his letter...
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
The author also knows the ever-present threat of the love of money. He shared the same view of this greed for wealth as the apostle Paul.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
With all the other warnings the writer of Hebrews gives, he issues this sharp admonition against moneygrubbing.
He urges contentment but also gets to the root of this lust for material wealth. That by pursuing this you are doubting God’s provision and protection.
He quotes Joshua 1:5
No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you.
and the psalms
The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid.
What can a mere mortal do to me?
After these he inserts the foundation we should all have.
And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
The love of money and material possessions are unworthy of our faith, our hope and our love.
Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith.
Here the matter of contentment with our God-appointed positions in the body of Christ is addressed.
In the church, we have leaders who speak the word of God and we are placed under their care.
They should conduct themselves commendably and seen as worthy of imitation.
Too often, members of the body forget their place. Sometimes we don’t remember those who are appointed to lead us, but we also ignore or rebel against the direction that these leaders provide.
We form factions and parties around our favorite figures.
For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters, by members of Chloe’s people, that there is rivalry among you. What I am saying is this: One of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”
We forget Christ himself ordained leadership in his body to nurture its growth toward maturity.
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
To ignore or rebel against the leadership that he put in place would be to neglect an essential means God has provided for out spiritual nourishment.
When you find contentment in your position in the church in humility, we can begin to remember our leaders, consider their conduct and imitate their faith.
Finding contentment in our position within the body of Christ take humility.
Submission isn’t easy-especially when we consider that the leaders within the church are sinners saved by grace just like us.
However, by exercising contentment, we are placing out trust not simply in imperfect humans, but in the preeminent Lord if the church, Jesus Christ.