Pray: that Jesus be exalted above all and that every area of our lives would be dominated by a vision of Him and His kingdom

[Hebrews 13:1-8; 17-19] “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from the 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?”

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the Word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever…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.”

I’ve got to be honest with you and say that preaching from a passage like this makes me exceedingly nervous because the danger is that what is being said could be misunderstood for morality. In other words, you might hear this and say, “Here goes the pastor again, preaching against sex and money and telling us to hold hands and be nice people in the world.” No, that’s not what I’m saying and that’s not what this author is saying, so please listen and understand why these things are written. They are written because Jesus is Glorious and Great! That’s why they are here! They’re not here just so you do the good things and avoid the bad things. They’re here so that you exalt Christ and the Gospel and that all the glory of our good works results in praise to God. Practical instruction in the Bible flows out of the preeminence of Christ and our position in Christ. We’ve got to understand this.

A Great Vision of Christ Results in a Transformed Life
It’s not because we aren’t doing enough of the right things that we fail to live out the radical life the Gospel calls us to, it’s because we’ve lost sight of the Gospel and the vision of Christ that it gives. Deficient living is the result of a diminished Christ. The author of Hebrews knows this, and that’s why he’s waited until this point to give practical instruction about how we live out the Gospel. He knows that a great vision of Christ results in a transformed life. So let me just remind you of some of the things he has said about Jesus, and He has given Christ some of the highest praises in all the New Testament…

Hebrews 1:1-4 “Long ago, at many times and in many ways God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom He also created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name He has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”

Hebrews 7:26-27 “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since He did this once for all when He offered up Himself.”

Hebrews 8:1-2 “Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.”

Hebrews 9:11-12 “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”

Hebrews 9:27-28 “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him.”

And over and over again in the book the author has directed our attention to Jesus and showed us that it is only out of a vision of Him, that we will live rightly: “Look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…” (If you want to run this race to the end, and endure, and get rid of sin, then you need a strong faith and it comes by a vision of Jesus) and “Consider Him who endured such hostility against Himself…” (If you want to stand in the midst of persecution and isolation and rejection, then you need to look to Him and consider how Christ made it) and again, “Consider Jesus the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him…” (If you want to be a faithful servant of God, then consider Christ who was completely faithful and never swerved off the path to Calvary)

And it is out of this Christ whom we look to and are astounded, and we consider and are grateful, that we live transformed lives. It is out of this great Christ that Christians live in great, counter-cultural ways. And we do this because we want Christ to be seen as the Treasure He is and the way we draw attention to His supremacy and Treasure Him is by a new way of living. And that’s what the author is calling attention to in Hebrews 13. He’s waited 12 chapters before giving practical instruction on living out the Christian life, and I want you to see that for them, it was something they had arrived at.

New Creatures Live New Lives
You see, becoming a Christian means you arrive at a new way of living, almost immediately, because you are a new creation in Christ Jesus and the old has passed away. Back in Hebrews 8:10-12 we read God’s contract agreement to save sinners, and what He will do for us and it is this: “I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. (Why? What will make this possible?) For I will be merciful toward their iniquities and remember their sins no more.(My Son on the cross will accomplish this and do this for a people)” So a new way of living is not something that sneaks up on you, but right living is the result of who you are. Your life is different because your heart is different. It is the result of already being part of the Unshakable Kingdom of God and not yet experiencing it in full. And the way we live before the world, in the world, is to be a visible sign of the already and not yet Kingdom of God: we are a visible picture of an invisible reality.

From every corner of the earth through the power of the Gospel and the Spirit of God dead men and women are coming to life, and as they do, they begin walking and going against the grain of the world for the sake of the world, and these people live as strangers and aliens here. They are an unusual group. To say it in the language of Lecrae these people “are in rebellion:” rebellion against the culture, the ways of this world and this age. So if you want to change the world…live against the world! And just as the preacher in his song says, “That’s the only rebellion that is left.” It’s the only rebellion there is!

And this rebellion evidences itself in several ways and the author of Hebrews is going to show us…

A New Way of Living in How We Relate To 5 Things

1. Insiders: “Let brotherly love continue...Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body (physically)." Love for our brothers and sisters in Christ is one of the first ways a new life is evidenced. 1 John 3:13-14 says, “Do not be surprised brothers that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.” So we go from selfishness to selflessness or at least a strong desire to be selfless and sacrificial in our love for those who are now part of our new family, and that’s what you’ve got to see: we love insiders because they are family! And this new family is part of Christ’s promise in coming to Him. This is one of the blessings of salvation! Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life (Mark 10:29-30).” You see this? You leave and you gain! Is coming to Christ worth it? Yes! A thousand times over! And how we love each other is radical, or at least should be, why? Because Christ’s love for us was radical. 1 John 3:16; 18 says, “By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers…Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and truth.” This is the way we are to love. This is what the author is calling us to. Let this kind of brotherly, Christ-like love define us! And when it does nobody who names the name of Christ will be forgotten. We will remember our suffering brothers and sisters wherever they are and we will lay down our lives to provide for them.

That’s the first way this new life shows itself and second this new life shows itself in how we relate to…

2. Outsiders: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” So not only do we live differently to those who are like us, but we live differently to those who are strangers; outsiders. I’m reminded of what Jesus said in Luke 6:32-33 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.” We’re called to love those we don’t know with a different kind of love. We are to be hospitable. Now in this context it means inviting these strangers into your home (brothers or strangers) and caring for them, meeting their needs and welcoming them as if they were angels. In this culture, dining with someone and inviting them into your home was a sign of friendship and was a big deal and when these Christians did this and lived this way it set them apart from their culture, and it will set us apart from our culture as well. You know how it is, in Wal-Mart, for example, how everyone walks around with their heads down, rarely making eye-contact or greeting each other…it’s just weird. In the midst of an individualistic culture that’s scared of everyone and is surfacy in everything, let’s show a different way. Let’s not keep people at a distance but bring them close, welcome them in, dine with them and show a different Way and different Christ who welcomes the sinner and bestows them with riches. Be hospitable. (And you can do this in many ways: lunch table, dinner with your family, spending the night at your house, etc.)

Now the author is going to move on and talk about how we relate to sex and money, and I think there is a connection with the next two instructions to the first two and it is this: to live radically others-oriented you must deal with two areas where you can be radically self-centered, and that is in the areas of sex and money. So first of all, sex…

3. Sex: “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” In the context of this local church, there was a teaching in the community that was putting down marriage and saying that it wasn’t a holy thing and a good thing so the author was confronting that, but at the same time he’s also exalting sex within God’s design of marriage where it belongs, and at the same time giving a warning of God’s judgment on sexual immorality and adultery. So he’s basically saying, “In the context of marriage sex is honorable, and pure and great, but outside the context of marriage it is dishonorable, impure, and deadly.” Now hear the Word of the Lord here and not the language of this world! Marriage and sexual immorality is a serious issue no matter how lightly the world takes it and abuses it and disregards it. Sexual immorality ruins more lives than marriage! People always joke about marriage saying, “It’s slavery to a ball and chain. It’s the end of freedom and doing what you want to do, etc. So live your life now and date and make-out and hook up with as many people as possible.” That’s the message of a thousand movies and that’s not real freedom no matter what the TV or your heart may be saying…that is slavery and bondage to sin! Scripture is clear: 1 Corinthians 6:13 says, “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” Can it be any clearer? You’re bodies aren’t made to mess around, you’re eyes aren’t meant for pornography or sexual explicit television, and you’re minds are not meant for sexual jokes and innuendo! You’re not made for this! You’re made for God! And Christian, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” And as Paul also says in 1 Corinthians 6:18 “Flee from sexual immorality.” It’s hard to lay down your lives for others that they may find pleasure in Christ whenever you’re seeking your own little pleasures! Let me ask you a question: “Will your hundreds of little moments of elicit scattered pleasures be worth throwing your life away or disregarding someone else’s forever?” Go against the grain! In Christ, say no to sin and hold marriage in honor in your hearts and honor every woman and man by seeing them as made in the image of God, and I pray to God, remade in the image of Christ!

That’s the first enemy and the second enemy to a radical self-sacrificial love for brothers and others is money.

4. Money: “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?” Notice something here: it’s not money that is the issue, it’s the love of money that’s the issue and that’s a big difference. That means, you don’t have to be rich to have a problem with money, in fact, you can have no money at all and still have a problem with money! Paul’s going to give the same kind of instruction in 1 Timothy 6:9-10 which says, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” You see the issue? It’s your desires, your wants, your longings. If you long for things of this world and want what the world wants you won’t magnify Christ and your life won’t reveal a great Christ who satisfies, but a small Christ who merely entertains on the weekends and hopefully keeps us from Hell! Keep your life free from the love of money! Wanting stuff and possessions is not an innocent desire, but something that rises up against a God-centered vision! Contentment is key and contentment here is shown to be satisfaction with the Christ who will never leave you nor forsake you! If you have Him, what more could you want? "The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want." So the question is, are you satisfied in Him? Is He enough?

5. Church Leaders: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the Word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever…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.” This is the last way we evidence a new way of living and we do this in who we look up to and who we submit to and why? The first thing the author calls us to is to remember leaders. For these Christians these were probably past pastors, maybe founders of the church, who spoke to them the Word of God. He’s saying, “Let these be your heroes. Imitate these men. Look at the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith in Christ.” For many of us, we probably haven’t had any former leaders to remember, but one of the ways we can do this is by biographies of great men of the faith. These will stir your heart to greater faith! For example, listen to this excerpt from Spurgeon’s biography of his baptism: It was on his mother’s birthday, May 3, 1850, that he “put on Christ,” when he was within a few weeks of being sixteen years of age. Up early in the morning he spent two hours in prayer and dedication, then walked eight miles to Isleham Ferry, on the river Lark, a beautiful stream, dividing Suffolk from Cambridgeshire, which is dear to local anglers. It was Friday, and there was not such a crowd of people as assembled when there was a baptism on a Sunday. Still, quite a respectable number were present. Never having seen a baptism, the young confessor was somewhat nervous…Here is his own description of the scene: “The wind blew down the river with a cutting blast as my turn came to wade into the flood; but after I had walked a few steps, and noted the people on the ferryboat, and in the boats, and on either shore, I felt as if heaven and earth and hell might all gaze upon me, for I was not ashamed, then and there, to own myself a follower of the Lamb. My timidity was washed away; it floated down the river into the sea, and must have been devoured by the fishes, for I have never felt anything of the kind since. Baptism also loosed my tongue, and from that day it has never been quiet.” That evening was spent in happy conversation in the Isleham vestry. There was a prayer meeting, at which the newly baptized disciple prayed. “And people wondered and wept for joy as they listened to the lad.” (p.40-41) See what I mean about the power of Christian biography? So that’s how we relate to past leaders, but how do we relate to present leaders? Answer: obey them and submit to them and let them do it with joy, not groaning. Why? They’re keeping watch over your soul as those who will have to stand before God and give an account as to how they did in this area. And this is a radical new way of living! Nobody talks like this saying, “I’m going to church or hang out with my elders because they love me, pray for me, and are keeping watch over my soul!” People will say to you, “Why do you always go to church?” And you say, “So my pastor can care for me, and speak to me the words of life that will keep me from death. So he can pray over me and help me to the child of God Jesus has called me to.” That’s radical!

Trust in the Unchanging Christ
And the key in all this is to remember and rest on the rich truth that “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever.” Fix your vision on Him for He is the same! He is the One from forever and will continue for forever. His years have no end. He has been gracious and He will be gracious. He is forever wise. Forever holy. Forever loving. Forever good. He is the only One who has truly loved others completely by laying His life down for them. He is the only One who has shown true hospitality to strangers by taking into His presence sinners, enemies and outsiders. He is perfectly pure in the areas of sex and money, and money was not the driving force in His life and we see this because it was by His poverty that He has made us rich. He is the Great Treasure and will be forever! And lastly, let this One, Jesus Christ, be your Pastor and Shepherd, for He is always and forever worthy of imitation and our submission and He always performs His service and ministry to us with joy, never groaning!

Is this your Christ? Is this One filling your vision? Is this the One to whom you look for in your yesterday, today and forever’s? I pray He is yours and more importantly that you are His.