Jesus Is Better - 17

Jesus Is Better - 17

Introduction

Americans love to say things like "follow your passion,"and "pursue your dreams." But do these mantras truly represent the path to vocational clarity, personal fulfillment, and human flourishing? Well, according to a new study by researchers from Stanford University, the answer is a resounding “no.” The study found that "following your passion" is likely to lead to overly limited pursuits, inflated expectations (career, economic, or otherwise) which lead to disappointment, and early or eventual burnout.

The study's authors concluded:“People are often told to find their passion as though passions and interests are pre-formed and must simply be discovered. Urging people to find their passion may lead them to put all their eggs in one basket but then to drop that basket when it becomes difficult to carry.”

Although our culture tells us to "look within," assuming a fixed set of passions to guide us on our way, researchers found more positive results among those who allow room for interests and intelligence to develop over time. As David Brooks once wrote: "Most successful young people don't look inside and then plan a life. They look outside and find a calling, which summons their life.”

We intuitively understand that there are good ways to live and not so good ways to live. The question becomes, who is the one who decides that? Do we turn inwardly and find some sort of purpose in life imbedded there? Are we the authority? Or do we turn to someone else, perhaps the one who made us, to find our calling?

TS - As we have walked through Hebrews for the last few months we have heard time and again that Jesus is Better. He is better than anything and everything. He is the better sacrifice, offers better promises, mediates a better covenant. As we have approached the end of the letter (back half of chapter 10) that has been applied in various ways. Now we are in the final chapter and that application is about to get very specific. 

Because if all this Jesus stuff is true, if he really is better, then following him is a better way to live. Since we know that some ways to live are better than others, and if Jesus really is better than anything else, then of course following him would lead to that better way of life. For the next few minutes today we are going to look at the first half of chapter 13 and see what the better life of following Jesus looks like and how it impacts us right where we live. There are two road markers on this better way:

THE WAY OF LOVE

- “Let brotherly love continue.”

What a simple way to start! And it makes sense. If we are going to follow Jesus to a better way of living, it will definitely be defined by our love for one another. Before we see how this plays itself out, let’s look at the word used here.

It is the Greek word philadelphia.  There is a reason that city is referred to as The City of Brotherly Love, because that is the literal translation of the word.  

—philos - love, affection, devotion // adelphoi - brothers.

The NT has a few words that are all translated as ‘love’ in our bibles.  But they all have little nuances to them that do separate them a bit.  

eros - sexual love, erotic

agape - sacrificial love (of God), unconditional

philos - general word for love, speaks to friendships and 

family relationships. 

While there are specific differences between agape and philos, drawing a hard line between them and making them seem completely different is not the correct way to view this word.  It shares some of the characteristics of agape, which we will look at in a minute. But it has its own flavor to show what love looks like.

The NLT is right to use the word ‘affection’ as the best translation for it.  It is a word used to convey devotion and affection for a person. And it is widely used in the NT:

— uses it to refer to a wife’s love for her husband.

— uses it to refer to a love within a family.

—In , Lazarus, the close friend of Jesus dies.  When 

Jesus arrives onsite he is overcome with emotion at the loss of his friend and Jesus openly, publicly weeps.  

- “The people who were standing nearby said, ‘See how much he loved him!’”

Much to my surprise, this word is used not just to refer to love between people, but also to describe the love we receive from God.

- “…for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God.”

- “But, when God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.  He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.  Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”

When God revealed his kindness and love…not agape love.  But philadelphia love.  His devoted, affectionate love.  So to those who think God is angry at them, to those who think God is out to get them, to those who think God is some taskmaster to be appeased…God’s affections for you is what has saved you.  God’s affections for you washed away your sins. His affections for you sent Jesus to the cross and the Holy Spirit into your life. His affections for you drive his grace that makes you right with him and grants you eternal life.

When this word is used to refer to God’s love for us, it speaks of the journey God has led us through from being an enemy of God to becoming his friend. And it is because of God’s philadelphia love for us as he makes us his friends, that this idea of philos love is rightly translated in the NT as ‘friend.’  In fact, ‘friend’ is the most often used translation of this word (29x).

— - Abraham is God’s philos.  His friend.

— - Jesus is accused of being a friend (philos) of 

sinners.

— - Jesus calls his disciples ‘friends’ 3 times.  Philos.  

TS - since this affectionate, devoted, friendship love is partly the kind of love we receive from God, it makes total sense then that the love that God’s people are to have for one another is to be the same kind of love.  

- “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”

- “You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters.  Love each other deeply with all your heart.”

It is very clear that this kind of affection, devotion to one another in the church is what is supposed to define the relationships here.  It is supposed to define our very lives. This is the better way to live. So much so that Jesus declared this:

- “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Notice the power of that statement.  Jesus did not say that the world will know those who follow Jesus by how well we love the world, though that is important.  Not our doctrine, not our service in the community, not our political views, though all that is important. He said the proof of our active following of Jesus would be how well we love each other.  That the world will so take notice at the radical, forgiving, pure, affectionate love that Christians have among themselves that they will have no doubt that these people belong to Jesus.

So when a Christian chooses not to love other Christians in this way through sins of gossip, slander, divisiveness, unforgiveness, the witness of Christians in the world is destroyed.  Because pagans look at that and see themselves because that is exactly how they would respond. 

TS - how does this better/different way to live show itself?

- 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 3 Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. 4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;

    I will not fear;

what can man do to me?”

—LOVE FOR STRANGERS (V. 2)

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers.” Typically when people think of showing hospitality they think of it as being good hosts to their friends when they come over for dinner. They generously open their home, provide some food and drinks, good conversationalist, etc. They and their friends have a grand ole time together and call it hospitality. But that is not biblical hospitality. They way of love is not just a love for your friends, for people like you. It is a love for people unlike you.

In fact this statement here in v. 2 is from the Redundancy Department of Redundancy. “Hospitality to strangers” isn’t really necessary because the word ‘hospitality’ literally translates as love for strangers. So this love that we have isn’t only reserved for those we like and want to be around. It’s to be shown to everyone.

—LOVE FOR THE HURTING (V. 3)

Remember those in prison, as if you were there with them. Why? Because you could be! Remember, they are being persecuted for their faith and Christians are being dragged off to prison. He is encouraging them…don’t forget them. Though they are not right in front of your face they still matter. 

—LOVE FOR SPOUSE (V. 4)

If you want to show the world around you a better way to live, maintain faithfulness to your spouse. Honor marriage and what God has designed it to be. 

—LOVE FOR GOD OVER MONEY (V. 5)

This one is stated in the negative…we live this way of love by NOT loving money. It can lead us down a road of selfishness and greed. That is not the way of Jesus. The better way of Jesus is a way of love for him, love for others, and a sacrifice of self, not love for self. By not loving money we show our utter trust in God and our love for Him over our love for what our money can buy.

TS - Living in this better way of love allows us to say with confidence:

- 6 So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;

    I will not fear;

what can man do to me?”

No matter what happens in life, no matter the challenges faced, no matter the disappointments we encounter, the way of love acknowledges that the Lord helps us and we do not fear. There is a second road marker on this better way:

2. THE WAY OF LOYALTY

This better way of following Jesus is not only about love…a lot of people can love well. A lot of people love strangers. A lot of people love those who are hurting. A lot of people love and are faithful to their spouse. A lot of people live wise financially and are content. That does not make them Christian. What makes these things, and people who do these things, Christian, is their loyalty to Jesus.

- 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

These can be some of the more challenging verses in the book of Hebrews. The confusion happens anytime we try to divorce verses in the bible from their context. If we stay tied to the context of what is happening behind the scenes, then the message of these verses begins to emerge.

These are Christians who have left OT Judaism and, due to persecution, are pondering abandoning Christ and going back to the Old Covenant with its rules and regulations. With that hovering over these verses, let’s walk through them and see yet again his call to stay faithful to Jesus:

—Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Judaism as a legitimate faith that actually leads people to God has come and gone. That was his point in chapters 8-9. The old way of faith in God is vanishing and obsolete. But Jesus, the Better One, never changes. He is better because he is always the same. He will never go away.

—Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings…stay faithful to Jesus, the one who is always faithful.

—It is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not foods. Many of the ceremonial regulations of Judaism are centered around the clean and unclean foods. He is hinting at them yet again…going back to that way of approaching God does not help. It doesn’t get your heart closer to God or stronger. It is grace that strengthens the heart. It is grace that leads us to God. So stay faithful to Jesus, enjoy his grace, and have some bacon.

—We have an altar…Jesus is our sacrifice. No one else gets to lay claim to him, only those who have placed their trust in him. Only those who are loyal to him. 

—The bodies of animals for sacrifices were burned outside the city…Jesus was crucified outside the city (all unclean). Therefore, we go to Jesus! We go outside the camp. If being with Jesus means being ostracized by our society, we go outside the camp. If being with Jesus means being mocked by those who do not share our beliefs, we go outside the camp. If being with Jesus means I lose a popularity contest, we go outside the camp.  Because that’s where Jesus is. And the better way of living is the way of loyalty to him.

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

In this we hope. In this we place our expectations. Not here. Not this world. But in the eternal city to come. Though here there is challenging times, persecution…Jesus outside the camp and us there with him. In the eternal city, there is a great and glorious reversal.

- 22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. 25 Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. 26 And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. 27 Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

In the eternal city, Jesus is the centerpiece. There is no temple, he is the temple. There is no sun, he is the sun. And those who have rejected him are the ones outside the city.

PRAYER

COMMUNION