HEBREWS 13: PRACTICAL MORALITY As I stated when we first embarked on this study of the book of Hebrews, the authorship of the Book of Hebrews is uncertain Possible suggested authors include Barnabas, Apollos, or even Priscilla, but there is no consensus on the matter Paul seems to get the most “votes”so it is traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle, but most modern scholars prefer to simply assert that the author is unknown And as we come to the end of this book of the Bible, I want you to know that I’m leaning very much towards the book of Ecclesiastes as our next adventure, which is 12 chapters long, and a great deal of fun! I think it will be an interesting book for us to hear to study and hearthe words of Solomon, in his immediate context back then, and then to apply those truths in our post-post-modern context now I think there is some overlap between the two, believe it or not! So…Lord willing, we will begin that journey next Sunday morning if the good Lord doesn’t come first! But first, we have to tackle the question: What is morality? Where does it come from? And is it objective or subjective? How do we parse it all out? Morality (noun) - The quality of being in accord with standards of right or good conduct A system or collection of ideas of right and wrong, especially pertaining to morality and conduct And interestingly, the definition included "religious morality and/or Christian morality" But maybe the better question would be, “WHY is it?” Why do we have morality at all? Where did it come from? Is it rooted in ourselves? Or is it rooted in something transcendent? In other words, does morality come from the individual, or from God? The Bible gives us the answers that we need on these questions Romans 13:8–10 [8] Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. [9] For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [10] Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. The Bible has been called “God’s love letter to humanity” and I can see that reality, but it is more than just the letters on the paper The Bible is alive - it is a Living Book And I love the way that the late Chuck Missler described it He said that the 66 books which we call the Bible constitute a highly integrated message system And what makes this so astonishing is the fact that they were penned by more than forty different people over a period of several thousand years, many of whom never knew the others Yet we now discover that virtually every detail of the Biblical text evidences a highly skillful, integrated design from cover to cover In fact, every word, every place name, every detail was apparently placed there (in the original) deliberately as part of an overall intricate plan What is even more astounding is that it can be demonstrated that the origin of this intricate design comes from OUTSIDE of our dimension of space and time All of that to say, you can trust the Bible There are some “translations” of the Bible that I would steer you away from, but the Bible is true truth, and the Lord has preserved it for us, even into this post-post-modern landscape It is critically important for wisdom, and life in general! The Bible also tells us that God wrote His law on our hearts (Romans 2:15) This is the definition of conscience In other words, even without God’s revelation in the 10 Commandments, we intuitively know God’s Law based on the fact that we were created in His image However, due to the fall of Man in Genesis 3, that image (IMAGO DEI) is marred and disfigured So even though we know God’s law through our conscience, we tend to distort it to our advantage, which is precisely why we need revelation! This final chapter in Hebrews emphasizes the importance of brotherly love, hospitality, and moral integrity It is an encouragement for believers to support one another and remain faithful to their commitments, especially to the Lord Hebrews 13 emphasizes practical Christian living, urging believers to maintain brotherly love, show hospitality, and remember those in need. It also highlights the importance of faithfulness in marriage, contentment, and following spiritual leaders, all while focusing on the unchanging nature of Jesus Christ It also highlights Jesus Christ's eternal nature, as He sits high above the Heavens But it also calls Christians to live in a way that truly reflects their faith, even when facing cultural challenges or societal rejection And I say that to you all because unless the Lord tarries, WE will be facing more and more cultural challenges and much more rejection, so take this to heart this morning! [1] Let brotherly love continue. [2] Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. There are four types of love in the Bible: Agape (God’s unconditional love) Eros, from which we get the word “Erotic” (physical, romantic love) There is Storge (which is a familial love) And then Phileo which is a brotherly love (Philadelphia - the city of brotherly love) Each type represents different relationships and expressions of love among people and towards God The text admonishes that the love between brothers and sisters in Christ should continue all the way until we are in His Presence We are all children of God, which means we’re all in the same family We are Brothers and Sisters in Christ How does that work? God is our Father Jesus is our older Brother And when we put our faith in Jesus alone, we’re been adopted into the family of God when we put our faith in Him and Him alone! Therefore, we are called to love The Greek word for that is AGAPE It is God’s perfect love, poured out and lavished on us! And still some ask, "Why does everyone make such a big issue about God's Love? What's so special about it? Why is it so important?" There is only one answer to these questions 1 John 4:8 says, "God is Agape." This is why Agape Love is so special, so important, and it is why we are commanded to seek it with all of our heart, mind and soul! Having God's Love in our lives is the whole meaning and purpose of our Christian walk Prior to the New Covenant, God was involved, and helped people, but His Holy Spirit only came into people as a result of the New Covenant And because of this shift, the Bible says that God has called us to for two primary reasons: To love Him, and to love others! 1 Timothy 1:5 says, Agape is the goal of our instruction and the fulfillment of all of God's Word in us! In other words, the whole Bible is summed up in our personally knowing AND passing on God's Love! That means you can’t simply keep it for or unto yourself That would be a violation of God’s Agape 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not [Agape], I am become as a sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not [Agape], I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not [Agape], it profiteth me nothing." God is saying that without His Love, all the intellectual knowledge in the world, all the supernatural understanding in the world, and all the faith in the world will profit us nothing Without His AGAPE Love, we will still be empty, lonely and without meaning or purpose in our lives Love is the reason God created us in the first place So if we don't learn TO love, and BE loved in the way God intends, we will have wasted our lives Hospitality is the overflow of Agape in the life of a Christian We serve one another and those outside the Church because the Lord has lavished His Agape love on us As recipients of that grace, how can we possibly keep it unto ourselves? To do so would be antithetical to Jesus and His way And allow me to add a personal story about this When I was in college ministry at the University of GA, we did a ton of ministry out on the streets where all the bars were Most of the time, things went fine, but every once in a while, something unexpected would happen We were on the sidewalk, Bibles open, reading aloud the Word of God Not shouting, mind you Not emphasizing particular points to get people riled up Just reading aloud with some brothers in Christ Suddenly a man was in my face, and he smelled abysmal, and was cursing and glaring me down He was shouting, “You don’t have any power here! I have the power! You’re going to be sorry! And he continued to curse and threaten, as he bragged about having power over the city of Athens and over the University, and as he went on his rant, his voice got louder and louder, and he had singled me out to get right in my face to yell at me I had to continually put my hand on his chest and gently but firmly push him back out of my space, and this happened 3 or 4 times The other 5 or 6 guys who were with me just stood there, but I knew they were praying And as the demonized man came close enough to kiss me or bite me (I wasn’t sure which) Then suddenly, the situation changed in an instant Out of nowhere, 2 strong-looking men, who looked to be in their mid-to-late 20’s came walking up the sidewalk Each of them put an arm under the demoniac’s arm, lifted him off the ground, and carried him away, out of site Never saw that guy again, but I believe 110% that God sent 2 angels to watch over me and the other guys that night God is good, and He keeps watch on all His children! But coming back to the text… [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. Remember those In prison When I was at Cascade Church, before planting Emmaus Road, I had 2 opportunities to go into the prison and minister to the men who were incarcerated It was an-all-together humbling experienced Why would I say that? Because they were not FREE to leave their immediate context, but their hearts had changed So even though they weren’t free to leave the premises, they had a freedom in Jesus that no one could take away And I want to add that it is the best place for some people, again, especially if it is the place where they come to know the Lord 20, 25 years, a Life sentence is NOTHING compared to eternity!! Yes, some people ought to be incarcerated for what they’ve done, and some of them for the duration of their lives according to crimes they have committed But the immediate context we’re dealing with is being imprisoned for the Gospel, and that’s another story It’s hard to conceptualize as a Christian in America, but all over the rest of the world, men and women, boys and girls are arrested and locked up simply because they have set their faith on Jesus Christ And in that unfair, unjust context, they find Jesus And those that already had Him find themselves closer and closer to Him [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. Marriage was God’s idea (and I’m deeply appreciative for it!) One woman and one man for life is the ideal that God set forth Not all keep that ideal through the course of their marriage But divorce is not the unpardonable sin, though it is something that hurts His heart, just like other things in our lives But the overall point of this verse is to point to the HONOR that is inherent in marriage (between one man and one woman) And I can’t believe I have to spell that out in our culture today! So the marriage bed should be undefiled In other words, it should only be the husband and wife sharing that arrangement And the danger that looms over it is that someone might choose to go outside of those boundaries (which many people in our culture do, unfortunately) But marriage was made good and for our good, not only for the hetero couple, but because it often results in children! [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? Money is a tool that God allows us to utilize We should use it for our families’ well being We should be generous in being generous to others The call to be content with what we have instead of chasing what is new and novel The key to contentment is in God’s promise to us He will never forsake us And He is our Helper (vial the Holy Spirit who lives in us) so we need not be afraid The worst thing Man can do to us is to kill us, but in doing so, they send us to be with Jesus, which is far better [7] Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Remember - pay attention to those who preach and teach in the Church Our lives must align to the Gospel so that we are preaching to ourselves daily Imitate those who truly follow Christ Beware the Deconstruction movement! A small pebble rolling down a fill can pick up speed and other rock, even to becoming a landslide Stay away from those who are double-minded [8] Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Praise God for this wonderful truth Immutability: The state of being unchangeable God is, therefore, immutable One of the greatest hymns of our faith is "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" which was written by Thomas Chisholm in 1923 The song was inspired by Lamentations 3:22-23 [22] The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; [23] they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Here is the first stanza and refrain of a beautiful hymn written on this very subject: “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been Thou forever will be.” Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see: All I have needed Thy hand hath provided— Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! He never changes! The Lord our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever! And even when we’ve been in His Presence for 1000 years, we will not have exhausted His beauty, knowledge, nor His love for us How that can be true is beyond my reckoning, but it is true all the same [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. Novelty is the bane of the Church, as it is also with the prevailing culture We should expect it in the world, but not in the Church We are called to be wiser than that In fact, novelty (looking for something new all the time) is not only a time-waster, but I believe it is dishonoring to God He is UNCHANGING! And we have to get it into our heads that we will be with that unchanging God for all eternity (and yet, somehow, not get bored) So how does that work? The saving grace in this case is the that He is both good and infinite, so we will enjoy and explore the mind of the eternal Godhead, 3-in-1 forever And we will never become bored, and we will never grow tired And we will experience unending love like we’ve never known before Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Matthew 4:4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts. In all of these verses, there are opportunities to not simply hear wisdom, but respond to it in the Light of Jesus Christ You can put down your game console and do something for others We can focus on the the good of others, instead of thinking about ourselves So in light of that reality, I love the way the writer of Hebrews parses this out He’s really saying, “Stop eating spiritual junk food and get going with a healthy diet of what’s going to be good for you!” That’s an important admonition There is so much left to be done, and time is running out! That’s a physical reality, and a spiritual reality But instead, it seems like every other pastor and preacher is mainly trying to make a name for himself rather than lifting up the Name above all names And all the while, those churches are being fed (just barely) on a steady diet of spiritual sugary drinks and starchy foods, when what they need is the meat of the Word!! But fortunately or unfortunately, this is one of the major signs of the times in which we live So let your hearts be buffeted and your hearts be filled with joy because of what awaits us in glory! [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. The writer of Hebrews is making the point that even those who worked hard to bring, preserve, and prepare the offering unto God had no right to eat from that sacrifice It wasn’t even prepared IN the camp, but OUTSIDE of it! And Jesus also was not brought into the the Holy Place, but was slaughtered outside, at Golgotha And He did that to cleanse all who wish to come to Him Whosoever will may come to the foot of the cross and receive redemption Our window of evangelism is closing And one day soon, the Trumpet of God will sound, we will be translated (raptured and given new, glorious and radiant bodies), and we will never be parted from our Lord again! [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. The writer of Hebrews (almost certainly a Hebrew himself) would have understood these nuances that we typically overlook And just like the sacrificial animals, Jesus also was brutalized and murdered outside of any “Holy Place” So the Jews of that time could still claim to be “clean” when it came the sacrificial system, but they weren’t Here on earth we have no lasting city to call our own That’s true now, but it won’t be soon The City of God is coming! The Bible describes the New Heaven and the New Earth We noticed that they are not just symbolic images The new heaven and new earth are going to be real, geographic places Now, some believe that Revelation 21:1-8 teaches the new heaven and new earth are just relational images to console the loved ones who have experienced loss, but that would make Jesus a liar The truth is that when Christ returns, we will be able to fully be with God, in His Presence Then we will be able to receive all the eternal rewards and blessings promised to the faithful Then we will find comfort in the arms of the Lord who wipes away our tears from our eyes When Christ returns there will be no more mourning, no crying, no pain, and no grief These former things will have passed away with the now-present heaven and present earth This world, with all its evil, pain, and difficulties, will pass away And then we will be at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8) [16] Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. God calls us to the simple things But depending on how quickly the Rapture comes, we may have many opportunities to express graciousness and to share our goods (and even homes) with others That’s not a call to stockpile out of fear It is a call to be generous and to put our faith FULLY in God as our Sustainer, and to fully trust in His Word! Christians ought to be the most generous people around This place is not our home! And that reality frees us to let go of the things of this world that might otherwise take a hold of us! Those sacrifices in v16 keep us looking up and looking ahead [17] Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Again…Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account… Are there any exceptions? Yes. I will not affirm, condone, or participate in that which dishonors Christ and His Word I have to tell you in all candor that I was disappointed by many of my Brothers and Sisters in Christ quite recently, as they jubilantly participated in the “NO KINGS” protest on June 14 largely in the United States Organizers estimated that more than five million people participated in more than 2,100 cities and towns And while Americans are free to protest against Donald Trump and his policies and actions during his second Presidency, so many of them, even professing Christians, forgot that we do indeed have a King! He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! [18] Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. [19] I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. The writer of the Book of Hebrews asks his readers for prayer Obviously, he’s been dead for a loooong time now, but the admonition still stands, as we apply it to ourselves as Christians in the world Every single one of us who name the Name of Jesus ought to live daily with a clean conscience CON - Latin prefix meaning “with” SCIENCE - Latin word meaning “knowledge” Your conscience is the part of you that God made to sort out and categorize good from evil And the admonition is that our consciences ought to be clear as to anything said or done to another person that wasn’t done in love You can correct someone in love, did you know that? You know it if you’re a parent! Or a teacher, or a Pastor! Beyond the conscience, we are told to act honorably in all things! And that’s a tall order, but it is one that we can rise to in the power of the Holy Spirit Each one of us who names the Name of Christ has the Holy Spirit living in us, teaching us, and guiding us as we take His Word into our hearts And not just on Sunday! We should be eating God’s Word everyday that we draw breath! And I want to challenge you on this point Whether you’re pricked in your conscience about some sin you’ve committed, or the way you’ve treated someone, let the Holy Spirit work in you and guide you as you pray, and then walk in what the Word that the Spirit breathed out tells you to do You may not know it right off the bat, but if you pray, God will show you what you’ve done, what you need to do, and how to do it And if you need someone to pray with you, let me know It would be my pleasure! (Benediction) [20] 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, [21] 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. Jesus is the lynchpin of History and all reality He was dead, and yet He rose again to life, and that for us, so that we might have life eternal He is the Great Shepherd of the sheep, and that sounds nice until you find out how dumb sheep can be But I don’t think this was meant as a put-down so much as a gentle reminder to walk in humbleness Each one of us ought to rejoice daily over what Christ has done in us, through us, and for us! You and I (I’m assuming you know Christ Jesus) are beneficiaries of what Christ endured, and when I reflect upon it, I find myself deeply glad and overwhelmed Praise be to our glorious and loving God! [22] I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. [23] You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. [24] Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. [25] Grace be with all of you. There is an admonition once again, to pass along to others what is written in this book And whether you do that by writing or talking, we are tasked - make no mistake - to carry the Gospel (the Good News) to all nations and people We have a rapidly-closing opportunity, if I’m reading my Bible and the signs of the times accurately And as we wrap up, I want to remind you that there is one thing that you can’t do in Heaven…and that is to evangelize, and bring someone to Christ So take the opportunity while you still can! // APPLICATION There is a wonderful prayer/benediction to close the book of Hebrews, and it summarizes the work of God "The God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the Sheep, by the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with everything good thing that you may do His will, working in you that which is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.". These words give the core of the whole book of Hebrews: May God equip you to do his will! All of us, at times, are concerned about the possibility of not being able to stay true to the Lord, that we would not run the race well, or even have periods of sickening doubt and relapsing into sin So the writer prays here at the end, assuring us that God will do the work He will equip us, and He will supply us with what we need at the proper time And He is constantly working with us, in us, and on us, so that what we do pleases Him We cannot live the Christian life by ourselves, and in fact, it turns out that we were never supposed to This is the message to the Church in Hebrews God the Father was able to raise Christ from the dead---and He raised us from among the dead, as well Only God's Love can cleanse us, heal us, and enable us to forgive others Only His Love can reconcile us In the end, may Christ be glorified by our lives SOLA DEI GLORIA To God alone be the glory! Let’s pray! // PRAY // SING // ANNOUNCEMENTS // GIVING Any checks or cash offerings go in the kiosk just outside the theater door in the hallway Or you can use the Church Center App // WORSHIP JAM - Thursdays @ 6:30 pm In the ER space Anyone can come - it does not obligate you to play on Sundays // Grilling with the Sattys at our home Sign up for JUNE 27th 2 couples or 4 individuals Great food and much laughter is sure to be devoured! SO NOW IT’S YOUR TURN! If you haven’t already, DOWNLOAD THE Church Center APP! OR call or text us - 706-338-7049 We want 2 couples (or 4 individuals) // HERITAGE BOOK CLUB This is a reminder to sign up, ladies! The next meeting is July 14th Get the book and read it together Jen didn’t tell me the name of the book, so you’ll have to ask her! // BENEDICTION May the grace of the New Covenant be with you, and may the Holy Spirit fill you so that He might use you for His purposes in the world! Yield to Him, as you in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ And walk in obedience to the Lord Emmaus Road Church, You are sent!!