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Church of the Nazarene – East Rock
Christ Above All: Hebrews Part 9 – East Rock
The heartbeat of the Book of Hebrews is the ultimate supremacy of Christ over all.
Today we are concluding our summer teaching series in the book of Hebrews called “Christ Above All”.
Hebrews was written to a persecuted group of Christians in or around the city of Rome, and under the pressure of the moment, they were tempted to return to their Jewish roots to escape the persecution that came with the name of Jesus.
But as we find in the letter itself, the author has gone to great lengths to show these weary Christians that Christ is better than anything else they can turn to- they shouldn’t give up on him.
The message from the writer of Hebrews is loud and clear: “There’s no life in the old way of doing things. The only source of salvation is Christ alone. He is above all.”
As chapter 13 brings the letter to a finish, the author applies the truth of Christ above all to the every day aspects of life for his readers.
Hebrews 13:1-3
Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
The first commands of Hebrews 13 is right in line with what Jesus said in some of his farewell words: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
In just three short verses, we have been commanded to love those we know, to show hospitality to those we don’t, and to remember those who would be easy to forget.
What we believe about Jesus should show up in how we love those around us.
This is quite the farewell, and he’s just getting started.
Hebrews 13:4
Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
The covenant relationship between one man and one woman, as God has prescribed in his word, should be honored by all.
The word honor here has the idea of respect, cherish, something of value.
“The marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral”
The term “marriage bed” here is an idiom for the sexual relationship- and that is to be kept pure, as God has designed.
God’s judgement is assured to all those who would violate their marriage vows, or by any who would engage in sexual activity outside of marriage.
God has designed the covenant of marriage to be the sacred and holy space where our sexual desires are expressed and enjoyed together.
So, our sexuality is not a matter of preference, or pleasure, but of God’s design.
As if this farewell address wasn’t feeling awkward enough at this point, the author continues on into another touchy subject…
Hebrews 13:5-6
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.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
The author is encouraging his people to keep a proper perspective on money. Not to give themselves over to the pursuit of wealth at the expense of their focus on Christ.
Quoting from Deuteronomy and the Psalms the author calls the people of God to focus on the promises of God and his gracious provision in our lives.
With the Lord as our helper, we do not need to fear. This is the source of true contentment.
Hebrews 13:7
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Much like the Hall of Faith from Chapter 11, the author again encourages his audience to remember the faithfulness of the leaders who shared the gospel message with them. To consider not only their message but their life, allowing both to be a model for their own.
That Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever is a reminder that the same Jesus that was preached to them then, is the same Jesus with them now.
Their circumstances may have changed, but Jesus has not.
Verses 9 through 14 contain a warning that they would not fall victim to false teachings, especially those that were appealing to their Jewish roots, and that they would live with a resolute focus on the eternal reality of God’s kingdom through Christ.
Just as Christ suffered reproach at the hands of the Jewish leaders, so would they. Living a life that declares Christ above all, will draw persecution and pressure.
As we continue in verse 15 the author moves to give farewell guidance about worship and sacrifice offered to God.
Hebrews 13:15-19
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.
While the offerings and sacrifices of the Old Covenant were fulfilled in Christ, Christians still have an offering to bring before the Lord.
The call of the church is to words of thanks, adoration, and celebration of God. To offer good works, acts of service and compassion done to others.
Another important aspect of life together in the body of Christ is leadership.
Here the author says that we should have confidence and submission to our leaders in regard to spiritual and doctrinal truth- That we would give ourselves to obedience and devotion to the teachings of scripture and the church.
The final chapter of this letter is just as jamb packed with theological and ethical application as the rest of the letter. And we haven’t even covered it to the end of the chapter. (Yeah, there’s more to chapter 13.)
What I appreciate about this concluding chapter is how real and practical it is.
Within a letter with this much deep and articulate teaching, it could have been easy to think that it was just a good informational course. that we learned some great theological truths, sharpened our scriptural knowledge, and that was it.
But in these final words, the author brings all the rich teaching about Christ right to bear on day to day realities in our lives.
What the author of Hebrews is showing us is that what we believe about Jesus, our faith in Him, should be evident in all these everyday areas of our lives.
What we believe cannot be separated from how we live. That’s what it is to live and believe “Christ above all”
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