To be a Pilgrim

Introduction: Good morning. For those who might be joining us for the first time, my name is Sandeep, pastor here at New Life Community Church. Today is our 38th online morning service and to be honest with you, it is getting tiring to do this via zoom. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that most of us are simply tired of this pandemic. People are talking about Covid-fatigue, which is not only for those who are battling the illness and physically tired, but the reality that this has affected everyone, globally. Back in March, we would not have predicted that we would be almost in the same, if not worse situation in November as we were back then. It is important to recognize and lament that our world has been totally distrupted - we can no longer take comfort in the rhythms of our family, church, other social and work life --- things we which often have taken for granted. But could it also be that our surprise at the loss of comforts is itself due to our naive approach to life in a fallen world and our lack of appreciation for the Bible’s assessment of this fallen world? Christ followers who have gone before us understood that the journey of faith itself was never one of ease and comfort in the worldly sense of those terms. John Bunyan, the puritan preacher of the 17th C wrote his book the Pilgrim’s progress while in prison for his faith. The book is allegorical depiction of the Christian life where the protagonist named Christian leaves the city of destruction and journeys towards the Celestial City.

Pilgrimage

The Christian life is a pilgrimage. One of John Bunyan’s hymns that I remember growing up singing at our school prayer times in India begins:

He who would valiant be  'gainst all disaster, let him in constancy  follow the Master. There's no discouragement  shall make him once relent his first avowed intent  to be a pilgrim.  - John Bunyan (1628-1688 Author of Pilgrim’s Progress).Pilgrims Progress

Bunyan’s hymn echoes what the author of Hebrews tells us regarding the biblical heroes of faith in Heb 11:13-16 :

13 All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, 14 for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them. (Heb 11:13–16 NRSV).

We are all strangers and foreigners - or exiles as some translations put it. We are not home yet for there is something more to look forward to in the Christian hope - God has given us eternal promises and in someways followers of Christ will always feel a bit homesick for that eternal Kindgom in this life. However, Christianity is not escapism — We do not deny the reality of the present life — the mixed experiences of joy and sorrow, success and failure, life and death. You may have heard or read the saying “don’t be so heavenly minded that you are of no earthly good.” However, that is impossible if you understand the message of the book of Hebrews and in fact the narrative of Scripture. Those who are heaven;y minded are in fact of the most earthly good. C.S. Lewis writes in his book Mere Christianity:

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.

The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven.

The book of Hebrews has taken us thus far on a grand journey of God’s faithfulness in making and keeping His promises - promises which have climaxed in Jesus Christ. What we have in Christ is so much better than anything the saints in the OT experienced. Moreover, there is a glorious future promised to all who believe in Christ — the promise of new heaven and new earth. The promise of God’s kingdom in all of it’s fulness. The promise of eternal life with God in His presence and with His people. These promises in Hebrews also include warnings to not stray away from our faith in Christ, to not abandon our hope, and not neglect our call to live out our faith in the here and now — As pilgrims on our way to the heavenly city, Ch 12 and 13 call us to certain practices which demonstrate that when the “rubber hits the road” as it has in this current pandemic — Christianity works! Ch 13 that we will look at this morning is theology in practice — it’s faith in action.

Practices

Commentators have observed that this letter to the Hebrews reads like a sermon. It has one seamless flow and as we come to the end of the letter, the practical exhortations written here need to be read in the light of the whole letter. It is also important to keep in mind that this letter or sermon was first heard by Christians facing hostility and persecution from society, and as persecution fatigue set in, Jewish background believers were tempted to go back to the safety and familiarity of their old religion which was also officially recognized. However, that would mean turning their backs on Christ and the writer encourages them to endure patiently and to carry on their pilgrimage of faith.

Now some commentators have noted that pilgrimage may not accurately describe the idea of strangers and foreigners. This is because we are not simply passing by — we live do in this world - and a better translation could be “so-journers” — we live here, but this is not our permanent home. In some sense we are all - Temporary residents — or as the theologian Stanley Hauerwas calls “resident aliens” — I think that changes the way we look at others. Just as our attitude towards others changes when we consider that we are all sinners, so all, when we begin to realize that we are all temporary residents, it changes how we treat other foreigners who have immigrated to this land. But I like the word pilgrimage and for this morning’s purpose I will use the word pilgrim with the same idea of sojourning. With that let’s look at chapter 13 and identify the practices that sustain us as pilgrims of the narrow way.

10 practices stand out in ch 13

Mutual love

2. Hospitality

3. Compassion/suffering with others

4. Marital faithfulness.

5. Relationship towards money

6. A teachable heart

7. Identification with Christ.

8. Worship

9. Witness/service

10. Prayer

Hebrew 13:1 let mutual love continue.

Love is the foundation for the rest of the ethical commands that will follow. The word in Greek translated mutual love is Philadephia, meaning brotherly love but it includes sisters too. If we go back to Heb 2:11 we see that Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters. What Christ has done makes all believers part of God’s family which is marked by love. The command to love follows from the teaching on Holiness at the end of chapter 12. Christian love is ethical and all ethics for a Christian are rooted in love. It is by our love that the world will know that we are Christ-followers. Jesus summed up the law in the great commandment as “to Love God and love neighbor.” Another key word in Heb 13:1 is the word “continue” — when fatigue begins to settle in our spiritual walk, we are encouraged to continue — to remain, to not shrink back from showing love to others. It is easy in this time of intense stress to withdraw from others, to become easily irritated with others, to become self-centered — but that is not the posture of one who is a pilgrim enroute to the heavenly city. The posture of the Christian pilgrim or sojourner is love.

So the next practice mentioned naturally flows out from this first one.

2. Hospitality (Heb 13:2) - Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers

Hospitality: The greek word here is Philoxenias - to love or welcome the stranger. The command is stated more as a prohibition — do not neglect to show hospitality. A reason is given for this command - that, by showing hospitality some have entertained angels. This is an allusion to Abraham who welcomed the 3 guests in Gen 18 and in some sense welcomed God’s presence in His home. Hospitality was an important practice in the ancient world and is still in many cultures today. Hospitality is a bit more complex in our society here. We do need to be wise, cautious and discerning in our hospitality in today’s world - however, the mark of a Christian is not one who builds walls but bridges between people which in turn serve as bridges for entering and experiencing the Kingdom of God. Hospitality is that bridge by which a stranger is made a friend and even brought into the fellowship of God and His people.

3. The third practice here is Compassion/suffering with others -

3 Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. NRSV (Heb 13:3).

Jesus, as the Great High priest suffered vicariously for us. He identified with and entered into our pain. On this pilgrimage of faith, we too are called to follow His example and come alongside one another. One of the prayer prompts in the morning devotions has been to have the Christlike ability to suffer with others. This doesn’t mean we put ourselves under unneccessary suffering, but rather that we remember those who are suffering, that we think of our brothers and sisters and that informs our choices and our actions. Now, more than ever is needed such compassion and empathy. Do you realize, people don’t need our advice as much as they need our comfort.

Peanuts cartoon

4. Marital faithfulness.

The New Revised Standard Version Service Well-Pleasing to God

4 Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.

Even though marriage is singled out here - it captures the biblical moral vision for human sexuality where the proper expression for that is within the covenant relationship of marrage between a man and a woman and which according to many passages both in the Old and New Testament represents God’s covenant relationship with His people. You see all these aspects we have been looking at are not disjointed commands. They are part of the one tapestry of what it means to be people of the New Covenant.

5. Relationship towards money

The New Revised Standard Version Service Well-Pleasing to God

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

The promise of God’s presence is further reinforced with the allusion to the Psalms that God is our helper and we do not need to fear human beings. You see, fear and anxiety can cause us to hoard up wealth but knowing that God is our provider, that God is with us and for us, sets us free from greed.

6. A teachable heart

The section from vs 7-17 is book-ended by how one should relate to leaders within the body of Christ.

The New Revised Standard Version Service Well-Pleasing to God

7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

The New Revised Standard Version Service Well-Pleasing to God

17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing—for that would be harmful to you.

Have you observed — A good follower makes a good leader. Those who serve well also lead well. This does not mean we should follow, obey or submit to anyone blindly. In fact, here in Heb 13:9 we are warned “Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings...” This would imply there were teachers who were leading people astray by their influence and particularly in drawing them back to meaningless forms of religion rather than the true grace of God.

Leadership is here not so much to do with title or power as much to do with serving God faithfully and caring for the people God has entrusted us with.

These verses define leadership in terms of the Gospel - they spoke God’s word, in terms of character - the believers are to observe the outcome of the leaders way of life, and the only thing we are to imitate of other leaders is their faith — or rather their faithfulness. Every leader in turn is to be accountable to God. A leader without accountability is a dangerous leader. Given that every human leader is flawed and can never be our true exemplar — Heb 13:8 once again points us back to Jesus.

The New Revised Standard Version Service Well-Pleasing to God

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Throughout this book we are shown the unchangeable character of God and of the person and work of Christ. Who Christ is and what He has done for us will never change and that is why we can count on Him. Jesus Christ alone can be the true leader, the true Shepherd of the Sheep as we will see later, the true exemplar.

7. Identification with Christ.

The New Revised Standard Version Service Well-Pleasing to God

13 Let us then go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured.

We should not expect to receive applause from the world for being Christians. For those who were tempted to turn back to their old rituals in order to find acceptance in society — the writer says in vs 10 We have an altar from which those who officiate in the tent have no right to eat. Either you are under the Old Covenant or under the New Covenant. We have explained many times here at NL, that the New does not mean the Old was not good — rather the New Covenant is better. Jesus is better and we cannot added anything else to Him. But to follow Christ as our true leader and Master means to go where He goes - the way of our pilgrimage is the way of the Cross! Sometimes we forget this in the West where we have enjoyed much freedom and privileges in society — but that has not been the case in the history of the church nor for many Christians around the world. They bear the mark of a Christian by carrying their Cross and following the Master.

8. Worship

The New Revised Standard Version Service Well-Pleasing to God

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

The eighth and ninth practice go together:

9. Witness/service

The New Revised Standard Version Service Well-Pleasing to God

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

Our worship and witness/service is connected and both are called a “sacrifice” that is pleasing to God. Again, I think we have separated sacrifice and worship and we often offer up to God what costs us nothing or only what is convenient. I don’t mean that we don’t spend a lot on our worship services, but rather that often we do not connect our discipleship, worship and witness as one whole thing. Our response to the One who gave Himself for us is to offer our lives — our worship and our witness as an offering to Him.

10. Finally - Prayer

The New Revised Standard Version Service Well-Pleasing to God

18 Pray for us

Not only is the author instructing the readers to pray, he is requesting prayers. It takes humility to ask someone to pray for you. But we need that. We need each others prayers so that we continue to live with clear consciences and to continue to act honorably in all things. Never underestimate the power of prayer in this pilgrim journey. In fact the greatest privilege we have on this earth is to be able to enter the throneroom of grace which the writer of Hebrews has already invited us into — Because Christ, our High Priest has already gone before us. Because we have this great High priest, who understands, who sympathises with us, we can enter God’s presence any time, we can receive mercy and grace and help in our time of need.

We have talked about pilgrimage and the practices that sustain us in this journey - but now we are brought back to the core message of this book - to the source of power that will enable us to walk in this journey — yet not just survive, but in fact thrive through all the ups and downs of life, through this pandemic season and beyond.

Before saying final goodbyes, reporting on Timothy’s release from prison and their desire to visit the believers — The author gives this benediction - vs 20-21

Power

Hebrews 13:20–21 NRSV

Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, make you complete in everything good so that you may do his will, working among us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

With this benediction, we are brought right back to the begining of this letter where the author presented us with a very high Christology with the theme of the Supremacy and all sufficiency of Christ.

3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Heb 1:3–4).

Throughout this letter, we never lose sight of Jesus and in some ways we should never lose sight of Jesus in our journey towards the coming Kingdom.

The power at work within us is not our own - rather it is the powerful activity of God working His will in us. The apostle Paul expresses the same confidence in Eph 1:19-20

New Living Translation Chapter 1

19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

God’s power, this resurrection power is made available to us — we are not left to our own resources as we struggle through this life, as we battle anxiety and fatigue, as we seek to re-establish new practices when the old ones have been disrupted by a global crisis - None of this is a surprise to God.

In this benediction — He is the God of peace - and that is exactly what we need for our situation - God’s presence and peace. Jesus is the great shepherd of the sheep - He has laid down His life for the sheep and He is now alive. He has been raised. He goes before His sheep and they find pasture in Him. Everything about Ps 23 comes lives for the Christian because Jesus is alive. Our pilgrimage is not to some shrine of a dead founder — rather to the city of our living God who is with us and works in us His good and perfect will and all that is pleasing in His sight.

I am sure that this is our desire - to live a life that is pleasing to God - to hear that we have lived according to His will and brought glory to Him. Some of what God desires for us has been mentioned in the 10 pilgrim practices we looked at in Heb 13. Love, hospitality, suffer with others, keeping covenant in marriage, freedom from the love of money, a learning heart, willing to identify with Christ even if it means opposition from the world, worship, witness (service), and prayer. This is not meant to be a checklist of religious duties, but practices that orient us towards God. And He does that for us and in us! As TJ reminded us last week, the whole redemtion story is a Trinitarian undertaking of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit all working to restore Shalom to His world. Praise God — Praise God — Hallelujah! This is the story we live in here on earth - the Story of God — Our world today is bombarded with many competing narratives of what the purpose of human life is — but as Christians, we have a story that offers life - a God-powered life — the story of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit’s activity in the world through Creation, fall, redemption and to Consummation, the story of Jesus who became human in His incarnation, lived, suffered, died and rose again and is now ascended and seated at the right hand of the Father and promises to return again to order all things right. Soon, in a week’s time we will begin the season of Advent — the start of the Christian year — the retelling of the story as we do it again and again and again - For this story is our pilgrimage song that we sing as we follow our great High Priest who has gone before us, as we follow our great Shepherd — Jesus Christ — As a child, there was a song based on Heb 13:8 we sang often in our home - yesterday, today, forever Jesus is the same, all might change but Jesus never - glory to His name! The world around us changes, the landscape before us may be nothing like the landscape we left behind - but Jesus Christ remains constant, and so let us follow Him with constancy —as Bunyan wrote: He who would valiant be  'gainst all disaster, let him in constancy  follow the Master

As we head into the Advent season, I encourage you to pick out at least one of the practices that we have talked about this morning and seek God in that area. How can you practically demonstrate love for someone? How can you foster mutual honor in your marriage? What practice will free you from the love of money - consider blessing someone else with a financial gift ? Are you being ostracised for your faith? In what way can you sense Christ’s presence with you? Is there a time of the day or week that you can set aside to seek God through worship and prayer? What service or sharing of resources is God call you to? Who can you pray for? Who can you request prayer from?