Final Appeal: Sacrifices Pleasing To God
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Review of all we have covered in Hebrews.
Theme: Jesus is greater!
Why do we act the way we do?
What determines the way we use our time, the relationships we have, and the things we pursue?
What we believe will determine how we live.
Doctrine Drives our Direction in life and the Decisions we will make.
The question is. . . what do you believe about Jesus tonight?
Do you believe Jesus is greater than anything else the world has to offer?
That he is better than. . .
Success
Relationships
Fame and popularity
Wealth
If we believe Jesus is supreme and the greatest and most important thing in our lives. . . than our actions will demonstrate this to be true.
If Jesus is superior to all things, we will be willing to sacrifice everything. . . even our very lives. . . to live for him.
Parable of the treasure in the field (Matthew 13:44).
Are you willing to sacrifice everything you have for the cause of Christ so that you can have Jesus who is the treasure?
Tonight, God is going to teach us through Hebrews 13, that. . .
By believing Jesus is greater than all things we can offer up our lives as a sacrifice that is pleasing to God.
Sacrifices Pleasing To God
Sacrifices Pleasing To God
Let brotherly love continue (v. 1)
Rom. 12:10: Outdo one another in showing honor and serving one another.
Application: love one another like they are your brothers and sisters.
Show Hospitality (v. 2)
Historical Context: many people traveled long distances and did not have a place to stay.
Matt. 25:35: When we feed the hungry, care for the poor, and love the least of these, we are doing these things for Jesus.
In caring and providing for the needs of others, love for Jesus should be our motivation.
Imitate Abraham who cared for strangers. . . not knowing that they were angels (Gen. 18-19).
Application: welcome people at your school to sit with you at lunch who don’t have a place to sit. Befriend the friendless.
Visit those in prison (v. 3)
The Hebrews were already doing this (Heb. 10:34).
Put yourself in their shoes.
Love and care for those in prison as if you were suffering in prison with them.
The author is referring to believers who were in prison. . . and since we are all a part of the same body, we must suffer and weep alongside with them (Rom. 12:15).
Application: visiting those in the juvenile detention center, praying for the persecuted church.
Uphold the Sanctity of Marriage (v. 4)
Sexual immorality has always been a threat to the church and the life of believers. The same issues we are dealing with today surrounding sex, the Hebrews were facing in the 1st century.
Two commands and then an implication in this verse.
Hold marriage in honor.
Honor refers to high esteem and is something that is treasured and valued.
Keep marriage pure.
Flee sexual immorality
If one does not do these things, they will face the judgment of God.
If one lives in sexual immorality it shows that they do not see Jesus as greater and have denied the faith. Therefore, they will face the righteous judgment of God.
Application:
Protect the sanctity of marriage.
Flee sexual immorality and pursue sexual holiness.
Be Content with what you have (v. 5-6)
The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. The Hebrews are called to not find their security in money but in Christ and what he has given them.
The main reason we can be content and thankful for all we have is because we have everything they need for life and godliness in Christ (2 Peter 1:3-4; Romans 8:32).
If God will never leave us or forsake us, we have everything we need and do not have to be afraid of “not having enough.”
The question is. . . do you believe that Jesus is all that you need, or do you think you need other things along with him.
Do you see Jesus as greater? Do you see Jesus as supreme?
Remember and Imitate Your Leaders (v. 7-8)
The author is recalling the saints listed in chapter 11 who have gone before them and encourages them once more to imitate their faith.
Later in verse 17, he calls them to “obey their leaders,” and let their leaders keep watch over them with joy and not with groaning.
Application: Think of leaders right now in your life and those that have gone before you. Consider how God blessed their life of faithfulness and seek to imitate their faith. Seek to be influenced and mentored by some of these leaders. Learn from them and respect them.
After listing these six commands, he closes the section with a statement about the unchangeableness of Jesus that refers back to Heb. 1:12.
Even though we are called to imitate our leaders. . . they may fail us at times and our leaders will eventually die. . . and have died.
But, since Jesus remains the same and will never die, since he is our great high priest who has given us eternal redemption and intercedes for us daily before the Father, we can trust in him and look to him.
Jesus is the ultimate leader the Hebrews are called to remember, submit to, and imitate. Since Jesus never changes and remains the same, he is a worthy example to follow and can be trusted.
Do not be led astray by false teachings (v. 9)
For the Hebrews, this meant not believing that eating certain foods made one holy or more righteous than others.
Specifically, he refers to the peace offerings and meal that the priests and people would share with the Lord from (Leviticus 3, 17:11-16).
We are nourished by grace, not by specific foods.
Foods don’t defile us, but what does defile us comes from our hearts.
God’s grace in Christ is what will strengthen and transform our hearts and make us more like Jesus.
What false teachings are seeking to lead you astray?
Feast off the Alter of Christ (v. 10-11)
Picking up on the idea of being nourished off of grace, the author says that we (NT Christians) have an alter to feast at that the OT priests do not.
The OT priests were not allowed to eat the sin offering of the ram because it was burned outside the camp and deemed unholy.
In contrast to the OT priests, we can feast off of the alter of Christ.
We do this by drawing near to God with a true heart and full assurance of faith (Heb. 10:22).
Jesus said, “I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” (John 6:35).
What are you feasting on tonight?
Suffer With Jesus (v. 12-14)
Just as the OT priests brought the animals that were offered as a sin offering to be burned outside the camp, Jesus also suffered and died outside the camp (outside the gate of Jerusalem) to sanctify the people by his own blood.
To be outside the camp meant to be deemed unholy, cursed, and banished from God’s presence.
Jesus was forsaken of God and fully absorbed God’s holy wrath and fury for our sin.
It is through Jesus’s sacrifice that we are cleansed from our sin and purged from all our defilement so that we can enter God’s presence and offer up sacrifices of praise to God.
In the same way that Jesus suffered outside the camp, the author calls the Hebrews to join Jesus and endure his reproach outside the camp.
This means that just as Jesus faced ridicule for doing the will of God, anyone who follows him will also face ridicule.
“Christ’s separation was in order that his people might be separated. The head is not of the world, and shall the members be of it? The head is despised and rejected-shall the members be honored? Christ’s separation is the type and symbol of the separateness of all the elect.” -Spurgeon
The motivation for the Hebrews was that the city of Jerusalem where the temple stood was not eternal and they should not find their identity and peace in it. Instead, they should imitate the faith of the OT saints in chapter 11 and seek the city that is unshakable and eternal and is to come.
This world system that we live in is not eternal. This life on earth is not all there is for us.
We cannot forget this.
We must remember our home in the new heavens and new earth that awaits us in eternity.
Praise God by Confessing Him With Your Words (v. 15-16)
In contrast to animal sacrifices, the Hebrews are called to offer “sacrifices of praise.” They are to offer their bodies as “living sacrifices” to God.
Specifically, this sacrifice of praise refers to. . .
“acknowledging his name”
This means to profess his name publically to others.
For the Hebrews, this means bearing witness for Christ and maintaining their witness.
It means holding fast to their confession of hope without wavering. “Confession” (Heb. 10:23) and “acknowledge” come from the same word in the Greek (homologeo).
“doing good and sharing with others”
Micah 6:7-8.
Do you love Jesus enough to tell others about him? Is he
Continue In Prayer (v. 18)
Response (v. 20-21)
Response (v. 20-21)
Believe that Jesus is greater.
Trust in the blood of his eternal covenant. . . and you will be equipped with every good thing to do his will.
Do you believe that Jesus is supreme?
Do you believe that Jesus is enough?