Put it into Practice

Hebrews - Jesus Greater Than Hebrews 13 - Put it into Prac ce Rev’d Lynda Johnson Today we conclude our Hebrews series. I’ve had the privilege of visi ng some of the connect groups and hearing rst hand how Hebrews has had an impact. It’s been great. Jesus is certainly greater than anything else this world has to o er. Today our topic for this last chapter is “Put it into prac ce”. There are lots of prac cal and helpful instruc ons here. Really what the writer is doing in this chapter, is pulling together all the things he has already said: • about the supremacy of Jesus • about the cross • about how all those who came before have led us to the cross • and about how we understand the perseverance it takes to journey with Jesus. Now, at the end of the le er, we look to the future, and work out what is our calling, and what it is that should dis nguish us as Chris ans. What is this amazing future that is calling us; and how can we faithfully step out into that future? Those are pre y good ques ons as we come to this point in our life together as a church, when next week we launch and celebrate a new Vision and a new plan. What are our lives to look like, both corporately and individually, because we belong to Jesus, the one who is greater than everything else. But there is a danger that we mustn’t read this chapter in isola on from the rest of the book. If we do that, we could all too easily nd ourselves on a self-righteous moralis c quest that simply says ‘be good for goodness’ sake.’ And can I say, that does nobody any good. Least of all, the Gospel cause. Today I hope that we read and understand these encouragements and exhorta ons to Godly living in the light of the whole book. Because that’s the only way it all makes sense. Throughout the rest of the book, we’ve had the systema c presenta on of Christ and his work and the impact of that. It’s been made clear that we have forgiveness through Christ and the cross, and now we move to this list of very prac cal dos and don’ts which arise out of a good understanding of what Jesus has done. In these closing verses we have more than 15 categories with at least 20 instruc ons. Our writer is helping us to Put this discipleship into prac ce. ti ti ti ti ti ti ff ti ti ti ti fi ti ti ti tt ti ti tt fi ti Page 1 of 5 This nal chapter of Hebrews goes from love, to hospitality, to visita on, to marriage, to money ma ers, to leadership, to false doctrine, to accep ng abuse, to praise, back to leadership again, to a benedic on, to exhorta on, to gree ngs, to grace… How amazing that chapter 13 starts with love and ends with grace! I like that. But there are some real jewels here as Hebrews comes to a close. As I read these rst few verses par cularly, vv.1-12, this is what I see: vv. 1-3 - it’s about love vv. 4-6 - it’s about purity vv. 7-14 - it’s about loyalty But we need to remember that love and purity and loyalty are not separate, they’re intertwined and interdependent. So rstly, it’s about love. It’s interes ng because what this is describing is • loving those you know, • loving those you don’t know, • and loving those who are outcast. Chris ans are to be concerned for the needs of others. Those for whom Christ has died, cannot live for themselves. Chris anity is faith in ac on and that means love being at work. So the writer draws a en on to something of what it means to live in love. Because Jesus is greater than everything and anything else, that gives us the reason to live this way. Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Think about it. How many mes does the Bible tell us to love each other? Jesus himself summarises the commandments by saying, love God, love others. In fact, a lot of the commands in scripture are a commentary on how to apply God’s love to one another. Showing hospitality means to reach out to others and extend friendship and welcome. How o en do we stay in our own friendship circles, ignoring or neglec ng others? And most of the me we don’t even realise we’re doing it. And we don’t realise because we’re enjoying being with the people we know and like, so we think we’re being friendly and hospitable. But do we look around? Do we really show hospitality, friendship and welcome? For example, what really happens in the hall following our services? Do we always sit or stand with our cup of tea or co ee, where we always sit or stand with our cup of tea or co ee, talking with the same people we talked to last week? ti ti ff ti ti ti ti ti ti ti tt ti fi ti ff ti ft ti ti fi tt fi Page 2 of 5 Or do we look up and out, and ac vely pursue the one or two who are standing on their own. The new people, the lonely, the di erent? How good are we at it really? What do we do when we go home from church each Sunday? Are there days when we just go home and have a bite to eat? Might it not be possible, to spontaneously say to somebody else at church - what are you doing for lunch today? We’ve got nothing planned, but perhaps together we could make lunch happen at my place. The place is a bit of a mess, but that doesn’t ma er. Would you like to come? And it doesn’t have to be spontaneous. You could actually think about doing it, right now? And what about caring for those in prison and those mistreated? Prison ministry is a challenge. Around the world there are many Chris ans in prison for their faith. They have commi ed no crime, except for proclaiming Jesus and living for Him. And they have su ered for it. And what about those in prison here. Are they simply the forgo en ones or do we have a heart to see them truly change and be invited into the kingdom? Could we, dare we, might we, reach out to those recently released from prison and integrate them into a loving Chris an community? Secondly, vv. 4-6 - it’s about purity - purity in sexual rela ons, - purity in the nancial, - and purity with possessions These aren’t separate from being loving, but these are all ways that love is to be carried out faithfully. And none of them are easy. Hospitality, care for prisoners, honouring marriage, money ma ers. All these things are all directly associated with this command to love one another. So what about marriage? How well do we uphold marriage and how well do we keep ourselves pure within marriage? How well do we present the gi that marriage is, to the wider community? This is a great challenge to us because marriage has now been rede ned. But in our faithfulness to the gospel we can s ll uphold and be a witness to the uniqueness of Chris an marriage in the midst of those around us. The writer then turns to money. In the Gospels Jesus talks more about our a tude to money and our use of money that anything else that he talks about? This writer to the Hebrews says quite simply, keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have. And the very next thing we read says: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” Dependance on money is fu le, because that is not our deepest need. What a tremendous promise for us in Christ! To have the assurance of God’s presence and help. tt tti ff fi tt ti tt ti ti ff ti ft ti tt ti fi ti Page 3 of 5 And don’t forget that we’re not reading this passage in isola on, from a perspec ve of mere morality. We’re reading this in the light of the whole book, from the perspec ve of being and con nuing to be forgiven sinners, exhorted to live for Christ. This is not about condemna on, this is about freedom to live as Christ intended. and thirdly, in vv. 7-14 - it’s about loyalty - ul mately loyalty to Jesus and his gospel, - loyalty to the new way, not the old way, - and also loyalty to those Jesus has used to impact you. Here’s where the writer talks about leadership, and speci cally leadership within the church, within the body of believers. He reminds them all that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, and so don’t be carried away by those who teach a new and di erent gospel. By any who teach something ‘strange’ he says in v.9. Any who take up leadership posi ons within a church must give an account. This is very clearly said in v.17. And that accountability is to God. As it should be, because He is the head of the Church. All church leaders are responsible to God and are to follow the lead of Jesus. Therefore su ering is part of leadership. Humility is part of leadership. Realising this solemn task, the writer asks the readers to pray. To pray for them as leaders. Can I please ask all of you, on behalf of the whole leadership body of this church, to pray for us. Pray for Chris, for Brad and for me, for Marg and Ethan, pray for those who lead ministries, and if you lead a ministry, pray for yourself and those who lead other ministries; pray for those who lead small groups, monthly groups, prayer groups, youth groups, children’s groups, those who lead our mission into the community, pray for our Wardens and those on Parish Council. Leaders need prayer for this church to be the type of church we are called to be, the type of church we need to be. The whole of this end part of Hebrews is not an easy passage to read. That is why I am at pains to make sure that we don’t just read these verses in isola on from the rest of the le er. This passage only make sense when we see who we are in the light of Jesus Christ. In the light of his sacri ce, his one perfect and complete sacri ce, which all the faithful of the Old Testament were looking for and wai ng for, and which the OT prepared us for, this great Jesus who is the exact representa on of God to us. We’re not to read these verses and make them into a moral ground on which we stand and judge the rest of the world. If we do that we will be condemned. What we need to do is to see these exhorta ons and encouragements to Godly living as coming out of a pure and living commitment to the cruci ed and risen Christ. As we conclude this series, I want to take you back to our rst week, when we looked at chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 2. ff ti ti ti ti fi ti fi fi fi ff ti ti ti ti fi tt ti ti Page 4 of 5 Do you remember back there we were greatly challenged by seeing how high and exalted Jesus is, and there was a warning. At the beginning of chapter 2 we were warned that we couldn’t escape if we ignored such a great salva on. Here at the end of this le er we get another warning Have a look at the end of chapter 12, just before we get these concluding exhorta ons. v.25. See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? The wording is reminiscent of chapter 2. “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salva on ….. “ And here ….. “If they did not escape …. how much less will we.” My friends, this reading today is a scary challenge to discipleship. Discipleship which comes out of a considered and well thought-out commitment of will to Christ. This challenge to discipleship needs to be taken on board. How do we put it into prac ce?? As part of his closing gree ngs in this le er, the writer says in 13:22: Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhorta on, for in fact I have wri en to you quite brie y. Whoa ….. let’s hear the long version! I think he’s acknowledging that this is hard stu , it’s hard to hear, and it’s hard to do. He’s also saying though..... “but it’s worth it!” And he encourages his readers with this beau ful benedic on... Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. tt ti ti ti ti ti ff ti tt ti tt fl ti Page 5 of 5