Acceptable Worship

When you travel to different parts of the country or different parts of the world, it may be good to understand what actions are acceptable and what actions are taboo.

For example, in some parts of the world, to invite a person to come near you, you might have your palm up and move your fingers up and down. One time when I was travelling overseas, I noticed that people would turn their hand over (palm down) and move their fingers back and forth. When I asked one of the locals why the do it that way, they said that to turn the hand upward would be the way that someone calls a prostitute or sort of a sneaky call. I quickly learned that palm down was the acceptable motion.

On another trip to the middle east, we learned that showing someone the bottom of your foot or shoe is a sign of disrespect or dishonor. We normally might think that is okay, except when you’re sitting the the maglis of a home (the family room) with cushions on the floor for sitting, where do you put your feet when someone is across from you or next to you? Sitting there was difficult, but it made me mindful of who was around me and where my feet were pointing.

Acceptable actions in cross cultural settings are important. As it pertains to our conversation today, is there an acceptable way to worship?

Over the last several weeks, we’ve considered the arguments that the writer of Hebrews presents regarding the supremacy of Jesus. He has urged us to follow the faithful who believed in God’s promises and put their lives on the line for Him. Last week we saw how we were challenged to run the race that God has ordained for us, even though the race is difficult, knowing that God’s Kingdom is unshakeable.

The writer of Hebrews concluded chapter 12 in this way:

Hebrews 12:28–29 ESV

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Today and next week, we’re going to consider what that acceptable worship looks like when it is lived out individually and in community.

Now, as we think about this word “worship” - so often we limit that to what we might call spiritual matters - what we do in this setting - singing, reading, praying, preaching, liturgy or the order of worship. We could also translate that word as “service.” In the sacrificial system, worship or ritual service involved sacrificing animals and performing certain religious duties. It seems like the writer of Hebrews, after boiling down all of the previous doctrinal elements about the supremacy of Jesus is working to help his readers/listeners understand that acceptable worship is sacrifice - but not of animals.

Let’s begin by considering acceptable worship in community. If we could summarize what this looks like with one word, it would be...

Acceptable Worship in Community: Love (Heb. 13:1-3)

Love is a sacrifice. It’s a sacrifice of my wants and desires for another’s benefit or blessing. Love goes out of it’s way. The writer of Hebrews here seems to be urging love in the community in three ways.

First of all, we see a charge to love...

...One Another (Heb. 13:1)

If you’re at all familiar with the various Greek words for love - agape (unconditional), phileo (brotherly), storge (parental), eros (romantic) - it might be helpful to know that the writer here uses the more familiar or communal - phileo when he says...

Hebrews 13:1 ESV

Let brotherly love continue.

The word is literally philadelphia -

Outside of scripture, this word is used only of men who have a common ancestry. But, because of what Jesus Christ has done, our ancestral separateness becomes familial unity. People who were once far apart are now family.

The writer here is urging that brotherly love would continue. It must be an ongoing and persistent part of our lives together as the body of Christ, as Christians.

We may be divided by politics - but we are brothers and sisters in Christ.

We may have different ethnicities - but we are brothers and sisters in Christ.

We may have different socio-economic backgrounds - but we are brothers and sisters in Christ.

There should be an elevated sense of identity with and affection for those inside the church. One commentator stated that “philadelphia cannot by definition be realized outside the ‘household of faith.” In other words, the bond that we have with one another as the body of Christ is closer and more intimate than our bonds with our biological brothers and sisters.

On the night before Jesus was crucified, he told his disciples that love would be how people know that we are his disciples. He then prayed that we would be unified (John 14-17). Brotherly love is that sort of unifying bond in our relationships!

So, in our service of worship or acceptable worship, how are we doing in our love for one another? Is there unity or division? Are there things we need to forgive or reconcile, or are there still roots of bitterness?

So our acceptable worship involves continual brotherly love, but it also involves loving...

...Outsiders (Heb. 13:2)

Hebrews 13:2 ESV

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

A lot has been made over the term xenophobia - the fear of foreigners or strangers - over the last few years. Some folks throw that term around flippantly when it may not apply. At other times, however, there is a genuine fear that we may have in relating to people of different backgrounds - strangers, aliens, outsiders.

One thing that did not know until this week that the Greek word that we translate as “hospitality” is a combination of two words - xeno (stranger) and philo (friend) - which could essentially be considered as “treating foreigners as friends.”

If our natural response is to treat strangers with fear, then the biblical response is with love or to treat them as friends.

We like to think of hospitality as entertaining - having a nice meal together. One commentator noted that entertainment often has with it the connotation of reciprocation - “I invite you over and then you invite me over.” But hospitality or treating strangers as friends, has with it the idea of love or service to people who may have not ability to reciprocate.

Let’s think about this in a few different ways:

Orphans - providentially - this month is a month of awareness for the needs of orphans - in fact today is Orphan Sunday. I realize that we are not all equipped or called to respond to the urgent needs of orphans or vulnerable children. I guess we really have to ask is my natural bent to move away and judge or move toward them in an effort to help? Imagine the impact that can happen when people who are growing followers of Christ are able to open their home to care for a child for a few weeks or many years - reversing patterns of abuse and neglect, providing hope through the gospel. (Sauder, Adema, Hartman)

Let me tell you a brief story of a good friend of ours. Kelly was born outside of Philadelphia to a single, teenager. This young woman didn’t feel like she was equipped to raise a child so she immediately put Kelly up for adoption. A Catholic family who was unable to have children adopted Kelly. They raised her in church and catholic school and supported her desire to go to summer camp, where she became a follower of Christ. Several years later, Kelly married a man named Jim. They poured themselves into youth ministry and wanted children, but didn’t think the could have any of their own. In March of 2008, they adopted a new-born boy from Baltimore and named him Nicolas. It’s not been an easy road for them due to some psychological and emotional issues. But Kelly recently shared a post that Nick actually looks forward to going to youth group (when once he used to yell and scream and say that he hated going to church). God blessed Kelly and Jim with another baby girl about 7 years ago. Imagine how different Nick’s life would have been had he grown up in the environment into which he was born, where drugs and alcohol permeated so many aspects of life. Kelly and Jim welcomed Nick as their own - loving this stranger who had no ability to help himself.

Another area we could think about showing hospitality is in relation to…

Refugees - There is a lot of politically mud being thrown all over the place regarding the Afghanistan challenges. But one thing we have to recognize is that those refugees are caught in the middle of conflicting cultures, values, regimes. These are men, women, and children who are image bearers of God. Many of them now reside in a nation that is foreign to them. Whether Afghani or another nationality, how do we respond? I have tried to reach out to different organizations to see what we can do to help - beyond just giving money. Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to find anything we can do tangibly, yet.

Another element to consider in regard to refugees or exiles - is that they are near to the heart of God. God urged the people of Israel to be sensitive to the needs of sojourners (exiles/refugees/strangers) - since they were ones strangers (Ex. 23:9). Even in the New Testament, the idea of strangers/aliens/exiles becomes a key factor. In Ephesians 2, the Apostle Paul references us as having been formerly aliens/strangers regarding citizenship in the Kingdom of God. The converse of this seems to imply that now that we are part of the Kingdom, we are aliens to the world. Even the letters that Peter wrote were written to “elect exiles” - people of God who are dispersed or in exile.

Since we are strangers to this world, we should be extra sensitive to the needs of strangers around us - being willing to take them in, care for them, assist with their needs, and more.

Neighbors? - are those who live nearest to us strangers and outsiders? That might be the very place where we can have the most impact for the kingdom.

So, brotherly love for one another and hospitable love toward strangers are key elements of our service of worship. The writer of Hebrews also challenges us to love..

...Outcasts (Heb. 13:3)

Now, truthfully, he doesn’t use the word “love” - but he does reference a lot that love does.

Hebrews 13:3 ESV

Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.

While being mindful of prisoners is important, the author here seems to be referring to people who have been imprisoned for their faith. These are outcasts because of persecution. These outcasts are being mistreated for their faith.

But notice, there is a sense in which we should empathize with these people - “as though in prison with them” and “since you are also in the body.” We don’t fully experience this today (but we may in coming years), but the first century believers and some Christians in various parts of the world today are fully aware of persecution because of their beliefs.

As a means of helping these believers have a personal connection, the writer provides an update about Timothy in verse 23, who apparently had been in prison.

______

So, in community, our acceptable worship involves continual brotherly love, hospitality to strangers, and love for the persecuted.

When we begin to look at acceptable worship on an individual basis, we could summarize that with the word...

Acceptable Worship Individually: Contentment (Heb. 13:4-6)

When it comes to contentment, the writer of Hebrews focuses on two areas. The first is contentment...

… Sexually (Heb. 13:4)

Hebrews 13:4 ESV

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

It’s difficult to know exactly what circumstance the writer might be dealing with here. Maybe it was promiscuity before marriage, adultery from within marriage, or generally a low view of marriage that led some people to divorce on a whim. Whatever the case, he is urging that marriage be honored - that it be revered and pure.

He uses some strong language here to note that “God will judge those who are sexually immoral and adulterous.” Ultimately, God will judge all sin and through Jesus Christ provides forgiveness for all sin. But that forgiveness does not mean that we have a license to be promiscuous.

So what does he mean by sexually immoral and adulterous?

Well, I’m glad you asked. He is using two different words here that relate to sexual relationships outside of marriage.

adultery - this is probably the most easily understood, but it refers to having sex with someone who is not your spouse.

sexually immoral - has a broader range of meaning. This is the greek word - pornos - which - as you guessed it - is related to our word pornography. This involves things like incest, sexual relationships before marriage, homosexual relationships, and yes, even pornography.

Our society would have us think that any kind of sex at any time with anyone is okay. They have gone so far as to normalize pornography and even celebrate a variety of sexual expressions. But the writer of Hebrews is urging us to honor the marriage bed. He doesn’t go into much detail as to why, but when we consider how marriage is described elsewhere in scripture, we can see that marriage mirrors our relationship with God. In the OT, the nation of Israel was said to commit adultery against God when they would worship other gods. In Ephesians 5, the Apostle Paul talks about how the way that husbands and wives relate to one another corresponds to how Christ loves the church.

Not only does he encourage contentment sexually, but he challenges us to be content...

… Materially (Heb. 13:5-6)

Hebrews 13:5–6 ESV

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.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

As with sexual matters, it’s so easy to get caught up into what our society says is okay. This next car, the bigger house, the nicer clothes, the better vacation, the bigger bank account. In and of themselves, none of that is bad or evil, but when they become our motivation or our passion, then we get things out of wack.

When John Wesley, one of the founders of the Methodist church, learned that his house had burned down, he replied, “The Lord’s house burned. One less responsibility for me!“ He was in a place in ministry where he was traveling a lot, and the house had become a burden rather than a blessing.

Ultimately, for both of these areas, it seems like it comes down to a matter of trust. Do we trust God’s ways? Do we trust that God’s plan in marriage will meet our needs/desire physically? Do we trust that God’s provision will meet our material needs? Are we content with what we have, with what God has provided? Are we using any surplus in our budgets to make life more comfortable or are we making Those resources available to the Lord.

Closing thoughts

At the outset of this chapter, we learned that the writer of Hebrews urged us to offer to God acceptable worship or service. Rather than getting into logistical issues of ritual, he addresses how we live in community and individually. Next week we will look at one other element of that.

Does it seem strange that he would take all that we have learned about the supremacy of Christ, the charge the follow the faithful and to run the race persistently - and then boil down the application to these two areas of life - couched in the concept of worship?

When we consider the what Jesus did by taking our sin on his life on the cross and paying the eternal consequences on our behalf - we are then freed from ritual activities. We’re freed from regular sacrificial offerings. We’re free’d from religious obligations. Now, we are free to love one another. Because we’ve been loved as exiles, we’re free to love the outsiders and vulnerable - showing them the love of Christ. We’re free to love those who are being persecuted - rather than assuming they must have done something wrong.

We get to trust in God’s good provision in our marriages (for those who have been called to marriage) and in our material wealth.

Then - when we gather for times of worship or learning, we get to do so out of thankfulness and joy for what God has done and what he continues to do. We get to walk without remorse. We get to preach to the watching world with our actions.

Let us offer to God love and contentment as our acceptable worship - demonstrating gratitude and trust.

Let’s pray.

Benediction:

Hebrews 13:20–21 ESV

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

Questions for Reflection and Discussion:

Take some time to consider these questions on your own or with a couple of friends.

How do “worship” and “service” relate to one another? How are the commands regarding love and contentment related to sacrifice?

The writer of Hebrews urges brotherly love (philadelphia) and hospitality (philoxenia - love of strangers). Share a time when you were the recipient of either of those. In thinking about exhibiting those loves, which is more difficult for you and why?

Beyond simply praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters, how can we practically “remember” those who are “mistreated” for the faith?

How do sexual and material contentment relate to an individual’s service of worship? What does discontentment in those areas communicate about how we trust God?

References:

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/hebrews/

Brown, Raymond. The Message of Hebrews. The Bible Speaks today. Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1982.

Cook, Donald E. “Immorality.” Edited by Chad Brand, Charles Draper, Archie England, Steve Bond, E. Ray Clendenen, and Trent C. Butler. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003.

Ellingworth, P. “Brotherly Love.” Edited by D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman. New Bible Dictionary. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.

Kruger, Michael J. Hebrews for You. The Good Book Company, 2021.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Confident: Live by Faith, Not by Sight. NT Commentary: Hebrews. Colorado Springs, David C. Cook: 1982