NBBC MW:Hebrews 13

We know the kind of relationship that is in view here - it’s among the church, those that God has called to Himself to be His people by faith in the Son Who gives the Spirit to signify their new relation to the Lord and one another.

The love that is in view is based on what God has done for us and how that has transformed our relationships to those who also have called on the Lord to save them.

We love because we’re a family.

If we have to be told to let this kind of love continue, what does that imply?

We’re going to be tempted to not love like this.

The enemy would love to break up this kind of love among believers to sow discord and discontentment so that the purposes of God would be hindered and Christ’s testimony in the world would be diminished.

However, we have to ask what is the source of our strength to be able to endure and promote this kind of love among us as believers?

Hebrews 12:28–29 “28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; 29 for our God is a consuming fire.”

When temptations come in this life that would threaten the love that we are to show to other believers, we must remember that we have a hope that goes beyond this life: God’s kingdom, that cannot be shaken.

This hope prompts a perpetual attitude of gratitude for what God has purposed and will assuredly give to us.

On the basis of this hope, we seek to offer acceptable or pleasing service to the Lord; we want to please the Lord!

You see, the transformation that God has wrought in us by giving us a different destination (His kingdom) and transforming our attitude (gratitude) along with our desires (to please the Lord) offers to us the endurance and motivation to love like this.

When it gets tough to love others, you must rely on the Lord Who has utterly transformed the direction of your life.

So we know why we should love our fellow believers (we’re a family), we know that this love will be threatened, and we know that we can rely on the Lord who has utterly transformed us to persevere in this kind of love that pleases Him.

The question is, how do we love like this?

What are some examples of how we can love others in this way?

Hebrews 13:2 “2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

If we were to summarize this statement in another way, how could we summarize it?

Be hospitable!

Importantly, even though the word “strangers” is used here, this does not have to refer to people that you may just be meeting for the first time.

The term is used in Philemon 22 to refer to the guest room that Paul requests for Philemon to prepare for him when he leaves prison to see Philemon.

Hence, it can refer to individuals that we already have a relationship with.

What does it mean to be hospitable?

Normally, we think of hosting someone in our home for a meal, a lite snack and fellowship, or lodging someone for an amount of time.

What do all of these methods of hospitality have in common?

There’s an effort to meet a material need or comfort.

However, is hospitality only about meeting material needs or comforts?

No.

What are some other ways that we can show hospitality?

Through our welcoming attitude.

We all know what this looks like: a smile, a handshake, hugging someone’s neck, sitting down to ask them questions that demonstrates a genuine interest in that individual.

The term employed for “hospitality to strangers” is a compound word combining “love” and “strangers.”

You see, this word is not necessarily about giftedness in terms of skill or creativity in hosting someone, although these are important.

It’s about the attitude of the one doing the hosting.

Don’t worry if this isn’t something that you believe comes naturally to you.

Since the Lord has called all of us to be hospitable, He will equip us with what we need to show the love of Christ to His people in welcoming them among us.

It’s interesting that the Spirit includes the note that He does about the unique guests that others have entertained.

Who does this statement remind us of?

Abraham and Sarah.

Lot’s family.

In each of these events, who received the greater blessing, the guests or the hosts?

The hosts, for sure!

You see, what this verse is pointing us to is that in seeking to be a blessing to other believers that we may much, none, or little acquaintance, the greater blessing is for us in serving them.

Why?

Because we do this ought of love for them which springs from our gratitude and desire to please the Lord.

We also do this in the confidence of the testimony of God’s Word from Abraham and Sarah and Lot’s family.

As the old saying goes, it’s not really work if you love to do it!

We show hospitality because we love God’s people from a grateful heart that wants to please the Lord.

The bonus is that we receive a blessing by virtue of those that we host.

I know that we probably have all experienced this before.

I can remember a time where Carrie and I hosted a couple that I was good friends with the husband’s sister and brother-in-law.

We stayed up late just talking and reflecting on things that would encourage one another in the Lord.

We both acknowledged that we wished we’d had more time to fellowship.

That was just the blessing of the Lord wherein we wanted to be a blessing to them and their fellowship with us was an even greater blessing to Carrie and me.

In showing the kind of brotherly love towards fellow believers that springs from a grateful heart that wants to please the Lord, we seek to be a blessing to others in need or in comfort.

Notice how the context is still showing brotherly love but the scene takes a slight shift.

Hebrews 13:3 “3 Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.”

What’s really interesting is the use of the word “Remember”.

It’s used 4 times across Hebrews.

Twice to refer to that God chooses to not hold sinners guilty when He chooses to forgive them (cf. Heb 8:12; 10:17).

It’s also used in Hebrews 2:6 in quoting Psalm 8 in reflecting upon mankind’s insignificance compared to the Lord, but the Lord still is concerned about humanity.

The point is that there are things that we definitely want the Lord to remove from our account.

There are also things that we do want the Lord to take notice of in His care and compassion.

Similarly, the Lord wants us also to compassionately take notice of a particular group of people.

Notice that the Spirit points out 2 groups here.

Prisoners and Victims, or the ill-treated.

The writer to the Hebrews has mentioned the former group before in Hebrews 10:34.

Given that the wrongful seizure of private property is referenced, we can assume that those imprisoned were also wrongfully imprisoned.

What do you believe that they may have done that would have led to their imprisonment?

Their testimony for Christ.

Notice also how it is that we are to identify with them.

“as though in prison with them”

What kinds of things would someone do if you identified with suffering like this?

You’d pray for comfort.

You’d pray for encouragement through the Lord.

You’d pray for strength to faithfully witness to Christ’s working in their life.

You’d pray for deliverance.

If the prisoners were in prison on account of their testimony for Christ, then what can we assume about those who were “ill-treated”?

They too are suffering.

How is it that we can identify with their suffering?

Because we too live in a body as they do, subject to the same mistreatment that they have experienced.

Think about it this way, when you get a cold and your whole body aches, you not only know what it’s like to suffer under a cold but what it is to be miserable on account of an external stimulus.

Every time that we experience difficulty it should prompt us to think about those who are experiencing difficulty to any degree on account of their testimony for Christ.

What is it that we do when we think of those that are being mistreated for their testimony for Christ?

We pray for them to endure the mistreatment.

We pray for the Lord’s justice to prevail against their oppressors.

We pray that the Lord would change the heart of their oppressors in saving them.

We pray that those being mistreated for Christ’s sake would be strong to share Christ with their oppressors.

We pray that our brothers and sisters in this circumstance would be encouraged to hope in the Lord Who saved them and is preparing a kingdom for them to enter into that is full of righteousness and truth and joy.

We pray for deliverance.

Where v. 2 focused on showing love towards those in need of material or comfort, this verse emphasizes our need to support our brothers and sisters who are suffering for Christ.

Notice how the next verse moves from guests, to those that we know are suffering, to now another relationship.

Hebrews 13:4 “4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”

What do we notice about this verse that the previous verses did not include?

A solemn warning concerning God’s judgment.

We could say that God is so serious about protecting the sanctity of the institution of marriage as He has outlined in His Word that He includes this warning here.

Additionally, there’s also an implied hope that one can cling to here.

God will capably hold accountable those who have violated His institution of marriage.

No one gets away with sin, not even fornicators or adulterers.

Brothers and sisters, if we are going to love our church family out of a grateful heart to the Lord that we want to please, then we must take marital purity as seriously as God does.

I believe that Chad has mentioned this before but we as a church have resources available to help you in this area.

Please speak with Chad or myself and we’d be happy to introduce you to these resources.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending a SBCV event for pastors to provide practical tips to plan out your preaching schedule.

One of the things that was shared was from Luke 22:46 “pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Similarly, we see that in the Lord’s model prayer (cf. Luke 11).

Brothers and sisters, as we seek to honor marriage out of a grateful heart that wants to please the Lord in loving others, let’s make it a priority to pray personally that we would not enter into temptation and for one another, for this and all sin!

So far the love that we share out of a grateful heart that wants to please the Lord looks like hospitality, compassion for the suffering, and honoring marriage.

Let’s conclude tonight by looking at how this same love impacts our attitude towards materials.

Hebrews 13:5–6 “5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” 6 so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?””

If you had to summarize the main concern here, how would you?

Be content.

Be satisfied.

Why would the Spirit have to call out the temptation towards the love of money?

Because it’s one that we will all face.

We’ll face it out of covetousness in wanting everything for ourselves.

We‘ll face it out of fear that we’ll lose all of our possessions.

If you recall, the write to the Hebrews pointed out that his audience was losing their possessions, albeit with joy (cf. Heb 10:34).

Hence, this is a real issue for this group also.

What is it that allows believers to be satisfied with what they presently have?

The presence of the Lord in their life.

What confidence does that give the believer?

That the Lord is their helper.

Therefore, they need not fear what others could do to them.

Instead, they recognize that the Lord is in charge of their life and is their provider.

We have good authority to base this on also!

When we read through Hebrews 11, how often did we read of hod God provided for His people in ways that were impossible on their own?!

Conclusion: Brothers and sisters, let us love one another in serving one another whether in our homes, in our church, out in the public, or even when suffering. Let’s uphold marriage in honor as the Lord calls us to since He established it and takes responsibility against violators. Let’s find our complete satisfaction in the presence of the Lord always with us Who provides for us, even in the face of human oppression.

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