JESUS THE BETTER WAY: HE IMPARTS A BETTER LIFE
HEBREWS 13:1-25
Big Idea: A Superior Christ Imparts a Superior Life
INTRO
So we come to the conclusion of our walk through Hebrews. These thirteen sermons have concentrated on the major theme and purpose for the book – the superiority of Jesus Christ over all rivals. Jesus is “better than” any competing religion, definitions of self, priorities, or allegiances. They all vie for your embrace but they are are flawed, earth-bound, and empty. Only Jesus can withstand the test of time, authenticity, and transformation.
In many ways, this final chapter is the “So What?” of the book. The writer revisits many of the themes he has spoken of in the first twelve chapters and gives them practical application. He shows how a superior Jesus can impart a superior life … a life that is rich, rewarding, and purposeful.
Let’s read chapter 13.
HEBREWS 13:1-25
1 Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. 4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. 15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.
16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
18 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. 19 I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.
20 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, 21 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 for ever and ever. Amen.
22 Brothers, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written you only a short letter. 23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.
24 Greet all your leaders and all God’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings. 25 Grace be with you all.
Did you catch the “So What?” of the chapter? I’m sure you did. The writer assumes that there is a pattern to living, an ethic if you please, that will be altered, transformed and expected when Jesus Christ becomes the fountainhead of your faith. These expectations fall into some easy to follow categories and the encouragement ends with a rousing prayer in verses 20 and 21.
The first thing I notice is that:
1) A SUPERIOR CHRIST WILL BRING SUPERIOR LOVE (13:1-6)
This chapter reveals other “gods” that are competing for your love … your devotion … but they fail in comparison to the character of Jesus. I notice:
• The lust-full love of a sexually saturated world vies for your devotion (v. 4).
In February 2013 The Huffington Post wrote an article about the Super Bowl played a week earlier that stated: “This was intended to be the year of the woman at the Super Bowl.” It was designed to attract women and build their confidence. You may remember that Beyoncé was the halftime entertainment. But was it really the year of the woman at the Super Bowl? It objectified them in very crass and overt ways. Beyoncé’s halftime show was very graphic and commercials were salacious. They made women into nothing more than sexual objects.
One news headline read “Who Won the Super Bowl This Year? Women!!!!” That’s because the world cannot differentiate between love and lust. But those who know Jesus Christ know a greater love – a superior love (called agapé). A superior Christ will bring a superior love.
• The materialistic world offers “things” for you to love (v. 5).
James and I have been planning Advent for this year and in doing so I began by reviewing last year’s theme. We talked about the trap of materialism … of finding life’s meaning in things that inevitably turn to dust and rust. I will not forget the article I read during that season where one writer confessed that he was looking for meaning in Christmas but settled for “stuff” instead.
On too many occasions we settle for stuff instead of pushing through and seeking the Kingdom of God. Always remember Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:19-21, 33-34).
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
I hear echoes of Jesus’ words in this writer’s “So What?” and I hope you do too.
But the real “So What?” of superior love is not only found in our love for God – the “So What?” is solidified in our love for others. And that brings me to my second observation:
1) A Superior Christ Will Bring Superior Love (13:1-6)
2) A SUPERIOR CHRIST WILL BRING SUPERIOR SERVICE (13:1-17)
• Love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12).
• Love your enemies (Mathew 5)
• Love your wives (Ephesians 5)
• Care for strangers (Luke 10)
These all have echoes in Hebrews 13. These are all evidence that a superior Christ will bring superior service.
What did Jesus say was the hallmark of Christian faith? It was love wasn’t it? Between the words of Jesus and the words of His writers who wrote the New Testament we discover that when God’s love is shed abroad in our hearts it has no restrictions. All the old paradigms that permit hate, indifference, and revenge evaporate when God’s love reigns. And God’s love always shows itself in service.
Henry Drummond was an evangelist and companion of D.L. Moody. He lived during one of our nation’s “Great Awakenings” and the emergence of what is now called the “Holiness Movement” that the church of the Nazarene is associated with.
He wrote a masterpiece on love in 1894 titled “The Greatest Thing in the World.” It is one of my most treasured books. Listen to what he says after quoting 1 Corinthians 13:
What is the summum bonum – the supreme good? You have life before you. Only once can you live it. What is the noblest object of desire, the supreme gift to covet?
We have been accustomed to be told that the greatest thing in the religious world is Faith. … Well, we are wrong. … I have taken you, in the chapter I have just read, to Christianity at its source and there we have seen that “the greatest of these is love.” It is not an oversight. Paul was speaking of faith just before. … So, far from forgetting, he deliberately contrasts them. “And now abideth faith, hope, love,” and without a moment’s hesitation the decision falls, “The greatest of these is love.”
I want you to catch the progression of the “So What?” in this chapter. A SUPERIOR CHRIST BRINGS SUPERIOR LOVE, WHICH, IN TURN, CREATES A SUPERIOR SERVICE.
Superior service shows itself in:
{1} Loving your spiritual family (13:1-2)
{2} Loving those who are suffering (13:3)
{3} Loving your family and kin (13:4)
{4} NOT loving money and the things of this world (13:5-6)
{5} Loving and trusting your spiritual leaders (13:7-10, 17, 22-24)
{6} Loving the world enough to suffer in Jesus' name (13:11-14)
And there is one more movement in this progression because:
1) A Superior Christ Will Bring Superior Love (13:1-6)
2) A Superior Christ Will Bring Superior Service (13:1-17)
3) A SUPERIOR CHRIST WILL BRING SUPERIOR RELIGION (13:8-15)
James 1:27 says: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
Again, do you not see echoes of this all throughout Hebrews? In fact they are more than echoes aren’t they? They are more like bold announcements made from a P.A. system! A superior religion is at the core of what a Superior Christ brings. Jesus brings a new way to relate to God and a fresh way to express God’s presence in the world … that is at the heart of this book’s message.
The author has not minced words in this book in his description of religion; namely the law and the old covenant. He has called it “weak,” “obsolete,” “useless,” “inferior, “temporary” and “ineffective.” Again, those are his words not mine.
• He has shown us that the old covenant, which was ratified with the law and encapsulated in the sacrificial system, could not take away sin.
• He has said very clearly that there is no place in the Christian religion for a sacrificial system.
• But – here in this chapter – he does tell us that there are three sacrifices that those who follow Jesus will bring:
{1} The Sacrifice of Praise (13:15) – This is described as fruit of our lips ... The natural outflow of the heart.
{2} The Sacrifice of Generosity (13:16) – We seek first the Kingdom of God. We become stewards of what God gives and allow it to flow through our hands and bless others. We can do this because we realize it is not a zero-sum game; we know God will provide for our every need.
{3} The Sacrifice of Goodness (13:16) – We can be kind to one another, as much as it is within us we can live at peace with all men (Hebrews 12:14).
Loving God always shows itself by loving humanity. This is how God shows he loves the world and it is how we show we love God.
WRAP-UP
And with that we have looked at the “So What?” of the book. We have seen three ways that Jesus’ superiority impacts life and faith.
1) A Superior Christ Will Bring Superior Love (13:1-6)
2) A Superior Christ Will Bring Superior Service (13:1-17)
3) A Superior Christ Will Bring Superior Religion (13:8-15)
Or, to say it like Jesus did:
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)
A Superior Christ makes me ask myself some questions:
• What can compare to the person of Jesus and the life he offers?
• Doesn't Jesus’ life / lifestyle seem more appealing and "livable" than the lifestyle so many people in our world live?
• Why would I chase anything other than the will of God?
• What is keeping me from bowing the knee and confessing Jesus as superior … indeed as Lord today?
I trust you have found the walk through Hebrews enriching to your faith.
Let us close with a final reading of our “Congregational Prayer from Hebrews”.
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This sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
First Church of the Nazarene
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
www.banazarene.org
Jesus: The Better Way
(A Congregational Prayer from Hebrews)
Leader: Heavenly Father, giver of all good gifts,
Leader: Because Jesus is better than our legends
All: We will look to Him for character
Leader: Because Jesus is better than our human potential
All: We will look to Him for strength
Leader: Because Jesus is better than our family pedigree
All: We will look to Him for identity
Leader: Because Jesus is a better mediator
All: We will look to Him for reconciliation
Leader: Because Jesus serves as a better guide
All: We will look to Him for direction
Leader: Because Jesus offers a better relationship
All: We will look to Him for communion
Leader: Because Jesus makes better promises
All: We will look to Him for assurance
Leader: Because Jesus ensures a better peace
All: We will look to Him for comfort
Leader: Because Jesus provides better possessions
All: We will look to Him for satisfaction
Leader: Because Jesus instills a better motivation
All: We will look to Him for purpose
Leader: Because Jesus establishes a better family
All: We will look to Him for belonging
Leader: Because Jesus awards a better inheritance
All: We will look to Him for our future
Leader: Because Jesus imparts a better life
All: We will look to Him for an example
Leader: In the name of Jesus, the Better Way, we pray.
All: Amen
