Kingdom Lives that Love and Endure (Hebrews 13:1–25)

Introduction

We are concluding our series in the book of Hebrews today, examining what it means to live a kingdom life. This sermon in Hebrews 13 will be extremely practical. If you want to know how to live a kingdom life, a Christian life that loves and endures, this is for you.

Have you ever tried to avoid going to the supermarket for as long as you can, only to be forced to go because you don’t have two ingredients that go together? You have peanut butter but no jelly. Cereal but no milk. Spam but no eggs. Pasta but no sauce. I could go on.

You went into the kitchen with a clear picture in your mind of what you wanted to eat, but all the necessary ingredients were already there. It’s frustrating.

Similarly, a Christian life with incomplete ingredients is frustrating. You’ve got love but no holiness. You’ve got worship but no service. You’ve got doctrine but no compassion. Living a partial Christian life is frustrating because it’s incomplete.

God did not call you to live a partial Christian life. He called you to live a kingdom life. How can we live kingdom lives that love and endure? We’ll see that today in Hebrews 13.

Scripture Reading

Hebrews 13 CSB

1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it. 3 Remember those in prison, as though you were in prison with them, and the mistreated, as though you yourselves were suffering bodily. 4 Marriage is to be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, because God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. 5 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. 6 Therefore, we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? 7 Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Don’t be led astray by various kinds of strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established by grace and not by food regulations, since those who observe them have not benefited. 10 We have an altar from which those who worship at the tabernacle do not have a right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the most holy place by the high priest as a sin offering are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, so that he might sanctify the people by his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing his disgrace. 14 For we do not have an enduring city here; instead, we seek the one to come. 15 Therefore, through him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices. 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. 18 Pray for us, for we are convinced that we have a clear conscience, wanting to conduct ourselves honorably in everything. 19 And I urge you all the more to pray that I may be restored to you very soon. 20 Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. 22 Brothers and sisters, I urge you to receive this message of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. 23 Be aware that our brother Timothy has been released. If he comes soon enough, he will be with me when I see you. 24 Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who are from Italy send you greetings. 25 Grace be with you all.

Pray

I’ve said that I believe the book of Hebrews is a sermon, and in any good sermon, you need to answer the question, “So what?” Preacher, you’ve explained what the Scripture means, you’ve shown it to me, but so what? What does this text, written to an audience in a different time and a different culture, mean to me today? In the craft of building a sermon, this is the application section.

In many ways, the application can be the most essential and practical part of the sermon. It says, “Based on what the Word of God says, as I have explained and shown to you, this is how it should apply to our lives.” Hebrews 13 is the chapter that says, “Based on all that I’ve explained to you throughout this sermon, this is how you should respond to it in your lives.”

It is an extension of Hebrews 12:28-29, which speaks of us receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Since we, as Christians, are people of the kingdom of God, Hebrews 13 says, “This is how we are to live kingdom lives.”

Since we are kingdom people,

In Hebrews 13:1-6, our kingdom lives should consist of practical love and purity. Keep love and purity central.

In Hebrews 13:7-19, our kingdom lives should focus on courageous faith lived in community. He focuses on faith at work in the church.

In Hebrews 13:20-25, he gives a prayer of blessing, reminding us that Jesus is the source of our strength, and then offers words of encouragement and grace.

As people given an unshakeable kingdom in Jesus Christ, this is how our kingdom lives should look. First,

I. Live Kingdom Lives of Practical Love

The first way we as kingdom believers, followers of Jesus Christ, show our kingdom lives, is through the way we love one another.

The first thing he tells us is to,

A. Love Fellow Believers

He says in Hebrews 13:1,

Hebrews 13:1 CSB

1 Let brotherly love continue.

The first thing we see about a kingdom life is an ongoing habit of love for brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.

The CSB translates the imperative Greek verb in this verse as “continue.” An imperative is a command. Whenever we tell someone to stop, or sit down, or listen carefully, we are giving them imperatives, or commands. The imperative verb translated as “continue” can also be “remain, or stay.”

The word translated as “love” in Greek has many different variations. When I used to drive on the East Coast from New York down south, we would pass through the city of Philadelphia. Philadelphia is the city of brother love, and philadelphia (φιλαδελφία) is the Greek word used in Hebrews 13:1.

Christians aren’t to pass through the city of brotherly love; we are to remain in it. Just as remaining in a city, the church is to remain in a continual process of showing brotherly love to one another.

A kingdom life is to have an active and ongoing love and dedication to the church, because the church is not a building, but a gathering of brothers and sisters in Christ.

Not only should we love fellow believers, but we should also,

B. Love Strangers

He says this in Hebrews 13:2,

Hebrews 13:2 CSB

2 Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it.

Is hospitality the same as love? The term for hospitality in Hebrews 13:2 is a combination of two root words. The first root word is philos, which means friend or love. The second is xenos, which means stranger or foreigner. You put these two together, and it means 'friend of a stranger' or 'love of a stranger.'

When we think of hospitality, we think of our ability to be good hosts for friends and family. But the term in Hebrews 13:2 is not about showing love to our friends. It is about showing love to strangers or foreigners.

The picture in Hebrews 13:2 is an illustration that comes from the life of Abraham.

In Genesis 18, Abraham is sitting at the entrance of his tent, and it is a hot day! The area where he was living was similar to some of the high-desert regions of Arizona, characterized by scattered vegetation. If you know Arizona, you're aware that it can get extremely hot.

Off in the distance, he can see three dusty travelers coming near him. Foreigners. Abraham demonstrates the impact of his faith and kingdom life by showing love to strangers. The Scripture says that he is so committed to hospitality that he runs out to these strangers, he kneels before them, and welcomes them in. He gives them a space to rest, feeds them, and serves these strangers.

When Abraham showed love to strangers, Hebrews 13:2 says he "welcomed angels as guests without knowing it." Why is that important? A kingdom life shows love to strangers, not because we are trying to get something out of it, but because there is spiritual value in every human being. God made every human being in his image.

We don't know what God will do with the opportunities we have to love strangers. Perhaps God has a divine appointment for you in showing love to the stranger. God is at work in what seems ordinary. You don't know what God has in store when you offer a friend or a stranger your time, your resources, and a listening ear.

A kingdom life shows love to fellow believers and strangers. Another practical way we show love. We,

C. Love the Suffering

It says this in Hebrews 13:3,

Hebrews 13:3 CSB

3 Remember those in prison, as though you were in prison with them, and the mistreated, as though you yourselves were suffering bodily.

He identifies two groups of people: those in prison and the mistreated. He tells us to put ourselves in their place. Love those in prison as though you were in prison with them. Love the mistreated as though you were going through the same mistreatment.

He tells us to remember, to remind ourselves, in the same way you would want someone to remember that you are actively going through a difficult situation. In other words, enter into the pain of others as if you are right there with them.

Who are these people in prison that we are to remember? Hebrews 13 tells us who the author has in mind, as he remembers a brother in prison who has just been released. Notice in Hebrews 13:23, he says,

Hebrews 13:23 CSB

23 Be aware that our brother Timothy has been released. If he comes soon enough, he will be with me when I see you.

The author is not speaking abstractly. He said, “Remember those in prison like Timothy! I have been thinking about him, praying for him, and am excited that he will be with me soon.”

Hebrews 13:2 is not just about prison, but any brother or sister God has put in our path who is going through suffering. Living a kingdom life means being willing to enter into the pain of others. Faith inspires us to live a life of compassion.

When I worked at a homeless shelter in San Diego, I served as an Administrative Assistant for the men’s side of the shelter for a time. My job wasn’t to counsel guys. It was to do the background administrative work. However, some guys would wander into my office and start talking with me, and I would chat with them.

Some guys would come by regularly. One guy would come to my office, and he was intimidating. He was one of those guys who looked like they could go off at any moment. However, I would talk with him and welcome him to discuss things with me in the office. I would speak with him about Jesus. One day, he shared that he had been feeling suicidal. I thanked him for sharing that with me and talked with him about how God loved him. He came back to my office that week and asked me to pray with him, as he wanted to become a follower of Jesus. Jesus changed his life.

A kingdom life is a friend to the stranger because God provides us with divine appointments to share the love of Jesus with others.

Whether it’s a brother or sister in the church who needs love, a stranger you’ve never met before, or someone who is suffering deeply, Hebrews 13 shows us that kingdom lives are marked by practical, active love.

A kingdom life doesn’t stop with love. A kingdom life is also shown by purity. The writer of Hebrews tells us to,

II. Live Kingdom Lives of Moral Purity and Contentment

Love for God will inspire us to strive for holiness in our relationships. It must. Love leading to holiness is what Jesus means when he says in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commands.” The Lord’s commands aren’t vague. He doesn’t keep us guessing. He says to love God and love others (Matt. 22:37-40). All of the Law and the prophets hinge on those two things. Love God. Love others.

The holiness of God must shine bright in the relationship God ordained for man from creation: marriage. This is why he reminds us to,

A. Honor Marriage

He says in Hebrews 13:4,

Hebrews 13:4 CSB

4 Marriage is to be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, because God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

Marriage is a spiritual relationship. Culture can't define marriage. The government can't define marriage. God defines marriage because he created it (Gen. 2:24).

The unity in marriage, where a husband and wife come together and they become one flesh in Genesis 2:24, is so strong that God uses the picture of marriage to describe the union between Christ and his church, where Christ is the husband and the church is the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:31-32; Rev. 19:7).

We dishonor our witness, our testimony, and ultimately God whenever we break the marriage covenant. A sexual relationship is God-ordained only within the covenant of marriage.

Some of the worst heartache and brokenness within our society have happened because our culture has turned its back on the sanctity of marriage.

Our culture has accepted casual sexual relationships as being normal. People dishonor marriage through adultery, pornography, and homosexuality. When people don't follow God's design for marriage, it hurts individuals, families, communities, and entire generations.

The warning that God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers is not some Old Testament relic. It is an entire Bible truth. Sexual sin distorts what God created as holy. A kingdom life treasures God's design for marriage.

A kingdom life is also one that will,

B. Reject Greed

The writer of Hebrews says this in Hebrews 13:5,

Hebrews 13:5 CSB

5 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.

Money in and of itself is not wrong or evil. Money is a tool that we use to get goods and services. We need money for food, clothing, and necessities. Financial resources help support families and ministries.

Just like your heart can ruin the covenant of marriage, your heart can turn money into an idol you worship. The love of money in life represents the desire to push God aside as the ultimate provider of all we need. Jesus says in Matthew 6:24,

Matthew 6:24 CSB

24 “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

The love of money is a desire to serve money over God.

Our culture understands that the love of money is a corrupting influence. I was watching a show recently where a man expressed a desire, as he described it, to be disgustingly rich, a king. In the television show, he makes a deal with the devil that leads to him getting the riches he desired, but ultimately destroys his life. The love of money destroyed his life.

I’m not endorsing all of the theology of that television show. However, it serves as a reminder that even a culture that defies God recognizes that the love of money can destroy a person’s life.

A kingdom life realizes that the answer to life’s issues is not the accumulation of more things. A kingdom life is built on a deep relationship with God; one that finds peace not in our possessions, but in the presence of our King, Jesus Christ, because “he himself as said, ‘I will never leave you or abandon you.’”

How do we keep ourselves free from the love of money?

Gratitude: Thank God for what you have, and don’t focus on what you lack.

Generosity: Using wisdom, be generous with what God has given you. Generosity breaks the grip of greed because it reminds us that God is our provider.

Ground your identity and security in Christ. Remind yourself daily that Jesus is our ultimate treasure. Life in Jesus Christ is better than all the treasures in the world. We have all we need in Jesus.

Hebrews 13:1-6 focuses a lot on our walk with God. It describes a kingdom life as one that seeks love and purity in the sight of God. Hebrews 13:7-19 shifts the focus to our kingdom lives together as a church.

He tells us to,

III. Live Kingdom Lives of Faithful Community Grounded in Christ

He gives us four things to remember as we live our kingdom lives of faith within the church. God’s mission plan to reach the world is through the church, through believers telling unbelievers about Jesus.

As we are living our kingdom lives united in the family of the church, how are we to live within this community?

The first thing he tells us is to,

A. Remember Faithful Leaders

He tells them this in Hebrews 13:7,

Hebrews 13:7 CSB

7 Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith.

In March 2022, I was voted in as the Lead Pastor of Catalyst Church. It’s been three years. During those three years, I have observed several aspects of this church leadership position. First, I don’t say any of this to complain. I am blessed to be able to share God’s Word with you and to serve you all in this ministry of preaching and teaching.

Pastoral leadership has unique challenges. I’ve worked in jobs outside of the church for my entire life, and most of that time has been in secular work. I’ve worked in fast food, retail stores, banks, law enforcement, as a bus driver, selling flowers, a warehouse, as a case manager, and in management. I’ve had a lot of jobs.

In each job, my spiritual life has been important. But I’ve never had a job where my spiritual life could make or break my ability to do my work. Furthermore, I’ve never experienced what I can only describe as a spiritual attack so often. My need for Jesus Christ has never been greater.

It’s interesting that in Hebrews 13, we’re told to remember those in prison and the mistreated, and to remember our leaders. In other words, there is a balance within the church. The church must be outward-focused, remembering those who are away from us, but also inward-focused, praying for our leaders and ensuring the church is well-pastored.

A pastor must not only say the right things, but he also must display the right Savior. A pastor’s life should be recognizable as one lived through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The evidence of who he is doesn’t change. Imitate a life only as it reflects Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ message never changes. That’s why Christians living kingdom lives should,

B. Reject Strange Teachings

Hebrews 13:9 tells us not to be “led astray by various kinds of strange teachings.” It provides an example related to food, as some teachers in the first century attempted to impose food regulations that contradicted the overall message of salvation by grace alone.

Strange teachings typically lead toward legalism. There is always a temptation for teachers to say, “You need the gospel plus this other thing.” Why is that? Because the message of God’s grace is so astounding, so incredible, that a teacher may be tempted to go beyond it.

What is legalism? Legalism is the addition of man-made rules for the purpose of power and control in religion. A Christian living a kingdom life must run far away from legalism.

The gospel is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, plus nothing else. We are saved by grace alone through Jesus Christ alone. Cling to the gospel and reject strange, legalistic teachings.

A kingdom life must,

C. Follow Jesus No Matter the Cost

He says in Hebrews 13:12-13

Hebrews 13:12–13 CSB

12 Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, so that he might sanctify the people by his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing his disgrace.

There is no promise in the Christian life for an easy life. It’s quite the opposite. Jesus says in Matthew 10:22 that “You will be hated by everyone because of my name.” Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:12 that “all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Look at what Peter says in 1 Peter 4:12-13,

1 Peter 4:12–13 CSB

12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. 13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.

It should not be viewed as unusual when the Christian life is challenging. Scripture tells us to expect it. As you walk closely with Christ, expect that opposition will come your way.

Expect it, and rejoice in it. Rejoice because a Christian living a kingdom life doesn’t live for the comforts of today. We live for the glory of the one who saved us, and we look forward to living in God’s eternal kingdom.

A kingdom life isn’t lived in regret. It is lived in worship. That’s why he reminds us to,

D. Worship Jesus in Praise and Good Works

Hebrews 13:15-16

He says this in Hebrews 13:15-16,

Hebrews 13:15–16 CSB

15 Therefore, through him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

A kingdom life is not a life that worships God only on Sunday. A kingdom life “continually offers up to God a sacrifice of praise.” There is a habit in the kingdom of life of speaking about Jesus and sharing Jesus with others. A kingdom life has a passion for Jesus Christ that comes out in the words we say.

Our passion for Jesus Christ comes out not only in the words we say, but also in the things we do. When our words about Jesus are aligned with good works that display Jesus to the world, we live kingdom lives that glorify God and are pleasing to him.

Conclusion

The pastor of Hebrews ends the sermon with a benediction. He says in Hebrews 13:20-21,

Hebrews 13:20–21 CSB

20 Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Why is this prayer so powerful? Because the power to live a kingdom life is not within you. We need God to equip us with everything good to do his will.

We need God to equip us to live lives of love.

We need God to equip us to live lives of purity.

We need God to equip us to live lives of courage.

We need God to equip us to live lives of worship.

God equips us through the power of the resurrected Son of God, Jesus Christ. When you put your faith in Jesus, he will give you the power to live the kingdom life.

Prayer

Communion

We will have communion, remembering Jesus and his sacrifice for us. Meditate on the Lord and where your heart is with him.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 CSB

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Last Song

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!