The E-Files. Encounter

Transcription

1 The E-Files Studies for families to enrich their time with God. Series: Hebrews: - Christ Alone Hebrews 13 April 19, 2015 Encounter As we come to the last couple of messages in our series, Christ Alone, it is and has been my prayer that we have grasped this one thought since the beginning. All I have need of or will ever have need of is found in Christ Alone! He was not God s plan B. He was God s plan from the beginning. There was no way to redeem man, to reconcile him to God s holiness without the perfect ultimate sacrifice. But it couldn t be animals. They don t sin, so they couldn t live a life that was sin free and be our sacrifice. Jesus could. He was the perfect unblemished lamb. He could sympathize with our weaknesses, He lived the human condition, but yet He did it without sin. His blood then was the ultimate eraser. In His blood we would have not only forgiveness, but God would forget our sins forever. In His blood we would have forgiveness for all times. It wouldn t be just a 1 time and done deal for us, it would bring repentance to the forefront and allow us to get back in right relationship with Jesus, whether it be the first sin after salvation, or the 101st sin. The blood of Jesus is all sufficient for you and me, for all sins, at all times, in all places, until Christ returns. The blood calls us to live by faith. The Hebrew writer tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God, because God is a rewarder of those that seek Him. Notice the seek Him. The action falls on you. God has already done His part, bringing salvation to our lives through His Son, its our responsibility to seek Him, to keep seeking Him, to always seek Him. Faith s call is that we live this life not for ourselves, but that we live this life for Jesus Christ. For when we get the end of this life our accomplishments won t matter, our material wealth won t matter, the house we lived in, the car we drove, the job we have, none of those things will matter. All that will matter are these words, Well done good and faithful service, enter the rest of your Master! What you did with Christ alone! Whether Jesus was first place in your life and all other things were secondary in nature. Faith lives in Christ alone. He has to be our focus! He has to be shared with those around us. Our lives have to be about Jesus Christ, and Him alone! I Love You All! Gary

2 Examine It! By: Harold Ray Series: Hebrews: - Christ Alone Hebrews 13:1-25 Chapter 13 has the final appeal of the writer to help his readers (and us) to keep pressing on in their Christian race. There is no new material here-except to say, here is your job description, as some urgent and necessary and critical fruits of righteousness with which to be filled. 1. Let brotherly love continue (v. 1). The writer makes a point of togetherness with his let us used thirteen times in Hebrews. When Christians love, share and care about each other, that love is never wasted. 2. Love is hospitable (v. 2). The very first positive expression of brotherly love is hospitality. 3. Love is sympathetic (v. 3). When one in the family hurts, all the family hurts. 4. Love maintains a pure marriage (v. 4). This relationship between man and woman is authored and authorized by God Himself (Genesis 2:21-24) and is honorable (precious, valuable, respected, esteemed, praised and thought highly in His Word). 5. Love is contented (v.v. 5-6). Those who made and kept their profession of faith in God without wavering (10:23) have a motivation for contentment for they know He keeps every promise. 6. Love remembers spiritual leaders; (v.v. 7, 17, 24) including elders, deacons, and teachers who shepherd, oversee, feed and exhort the church family. God guides through spiritual leaders and respect for them is respect for God Himself. [v. 8 is a link between v. 7 and v. 9. Leaders depart. Doctrines change. But Jesus Christ, the One about whom this epistle was written, does not change and His doctrine does not change! All that He is today, He was yesterday, and all that He was yesterday He is today and Forever!] 7. Love stands firm in Jesus and His doctrine by our being sure of whom we believe (v. 9). Every epistle in the N.T. is written to the church to call her to follow the apostles doctrine (Acts 2:42) and not be carried about like driftwood by the waves. Be on the lookout for strange doctrines. AT THE HEART OF APOSTOLIC CHRIS- TIAN DOCTRINE STANDS A PERSON WHOSE TEACHINGS ARE ALWAYS RIGHT AND SAFE. HIS NAME IS JESUS. This doctrine remains unchanged because He remains unchanged. 8. Love accepts the same reproach that our Lord Jesus accepted (v. 13). The readers of this epistle are called upon to partake of a New Covenant and faithfulness to Jesus, exposing them to persecution, ridicule and shame. But they would be outcasts just like Jesus was - and we go willingly, just like Jesus went willingly. Besides, we belong to the future (v. 14) because there is no fixed resting place here this is not our final home. 9. Love willing to offer two sacrifices continually to Him (v. 15). a. Words of thanksgiving from the heart. b. Words of praise from the lips. Why? Because a command to be obeyed.

3 Examine It! By: Harold Ray 10. Love never wearies with the art of caring. Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned. Peter Marshall. What can Jesus do with a follower who does not care? You have just finished considering ten wonderful ways the writer gives to carry out his great truth of a brotherly love. Does my expression of brotherly love define that I m sided with Jesus? What humble art of service can I offer Him today? How many real sacrifices have I ever made for the cause of Jesus and His Gospel? Conclusion v.v contains a prayer which is both a closing benediction and a petition from the writer to the readers (and us) after he has just asked them to pray for him (v.v.18-19). The prayer is brief, yet so very inclusive as to be a summary of all the major subjects the writer has dealt with in all the letter. I like to call this prayer profoundly simple and simply profound! There are those themes in the prayer Peace (from the God of peace) Resurrection (through the only mention in Hebrews) Blood (many times about Jesus blood) Covenant (with a strong plea for the better one) Perfection (spiritual) God s eternal work in each believer Through Jesus Christ. What others have said about this prayer: One of the most beautiful benedictions and petitions in the Bible. Henry Halley Should be committed to memory and to the heart. Lee Carter Maynard To me, verses are the sweetest, deepest and most uplifting in the Word of God. Ashley S. Johnson In v. 32 there is a second benediction and are the last words which are always important words. Amen and Amen!

4 Explore It! Day 1 By: Darci Engle Staying Faithful Read: Hebrews 13:1-6 This passage gives clear instructions on how to do quite a lot of things (keep on loving, entertain strangers, remember those in prison, honor marriage, be content). That is a very challenging list. The way to being able to do all these are revealed in verse 5 God said, never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. As we struggle in this world, it may feel like God isn t with us or that God doesn t hear our prayers. This is simply not true. Every prayer is heard and answered. It just might not be answered in the time and way that YOU want. I want my physical pain to end. I often ask God if He will just stop the pain that I am in. I am so tired of being in pain, taking pills, seeing doctors. Why won t God answer my prayer? I do not know why He has not ended my pain. But my part in this is to stay faithful and know that He is not taking away my pain because it is not in His plan. I also know that His plan is better than anything I can plan. So while it is not easy, and I don t do this successfully all the time, I try and accept my pain. God will resolve this according to His plan. (see 2 Corinthians 12:1-10) My issue is extreme pain. You have an issue that you are struggling with. I urge you to let go of it. Give it to God and trust that He knows much more than you. Know that He has a better plan than you. This is faith in action and it is very pleasing to God. Dear Father, I turn my pain over to you. I would really like to not hurt today. However, I accept this pain and trust that you will handle it. I apologize when I get anger with you for the pain I am in. I apologize when I yell out why wont you just take this pain away!? I will do my best today to trust you, your plan and your love for me. Amen

5 Explore It! Day 2 By: Drew Miller Read: Hebrews 13:7-8, 17, Leadership and Followership The writer in verse 7 is asking the Hebrews to remember the leaders of the past that started them on the journey of following Christ. These leaders were probably deceased either by martyrdom or natural causes. They were the ones that had the firsthand experience with Jesus. They had been taught by Him, seen His miracles, known His character, shared meals and had firsthand knowledge of His life, death and resurrection. These leaders were the ones that spoke the truth, performed miracles, brought many souls to Christ and established the early congregations. I think the writer is encouraging them to remember early leaders like Peter, Paul and John. He is asking for the Hebrews to use them as examples and imitate their faith even as they persevered to the very end of their lives. In verse 8 the writer is reminding them that even as great as these leaders were they were not around forever and they were not perfect. They should put their faith in the one that is the same yesterday and today and forever. Initially the Hebrew Christians faith was in Jesus and the writer warns the Hebrews not to go back to the old way of Judaism with its imperfection. Sometimes we put our faith in leaders instead of in the one who is the Christ. Leaders in the church, then and today, are only human. They have very serious spiritual responsibility and most have high spiritual character and understanding. The one whom they lead for and proclaim about is Jesus. I read a quote from a preacher who had a member of his congregation upon the announcement of his moving say that they so depended on him for their spiritual help that they didn t know what they would do. The minister replied that he should have left earlier, so that the person would have started depending on Jesus sooner. In other words our faith is built on the solid foundation of Jesus, the only one we can depend on yesterday, today and forever. In verse 17 the writer is now talking about their current leadership in the church. He is imploring the Hebrews to obey and submit to them. They have the awesome responsibility to watch over the flock. They are indirectly responsible for the souls of those whom they lead. The awesomeness of this is that they are held accountable for their leadership come judgement. We are not always going to agree with everything that our leaders do, but unless it is scripturally and spiritually wrong, it is our responsibility to encourage and follow their leadership. That is not always easy especially when they want the church painted purple and you think it should be painted white. It is our responsibility even when we disagree with the color they choose to encourage them and follow. When Jesus talks about judgement in Matthew chapter 25 there is no color chart mentioned if you know what I mean. If you don t maybe it should be reread. I have to sometimes myself. Trust in the Lord first and then in His leaders and you will be an encouraging and soul winning follower. In the last 4 verses of Hebrews we get a window into the very personal lives of the members of the church and the writer at that time. We won t know all of the nuances of everything said in these verses because it is lost in time. This wasn t a TXT message (LOL) but by their standards it was considered brief. So the writer says it was only a brief statement of what they really had to say. A little news about Timothy is given. Finally everyone is told goodbye. There is even greetings from the folks in Italy. Grace be with all of you. Try that on someone in leadership next time you see them. Tell them what a great job they are doing, encourage them and then say Grace, Mercy and Peace to you; God s grace allows mercy and gives everlasting peace. Thank you for what you do. What a wonderful blessing to say to a fellow believer. Encouraging and obedient followers makes joyful, attentive and successful leaders.

6 Explore It! Day 3 By: Gary Henline Stop Being Carried Away Read Hebrews 13:9-16 In 2 Timothy 4:3-4 Paul told his young evangelist protégé: For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. The Hebrew writer had to remind those that were reading his letter of the very same things. He says in verse 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. The strange teaching was mostly inclusive of those that taught things like Jesus was not enough. They needed Jesus and the law, or Jesus and ceremony, Jesus and.. This really ought not be surprising to us. There are many misconceptions that are taught among the spectrum of Christianity in our world that are not only blatantly false, but are nothing more than the soothing of itching ears. Science is one of those things. For some in Christianity science has become the enemy of faith. The reality is that science, good science, not hypothetical science, provides solid proof for our being human beings, with a very complex creator who created very complex systems we call the human body. Unfortunately since there is also bad science, many believers want to through science out the window and act as if it has nothing to offer our faith. The latest greatest ear tickling is the same sex marriage movement. Although the Scriptures are clear that homosexuality is sin, the ears that want to be tickled have begun to call the Scriptures outdated. They hop on the bandwagon of those who are trying to itch others ears who say that Jesus didn t really address this issue, so for them it is a non-issue. The sad part is the number of believers who have bought into this argument, because they have friends who are practicing this lifestyle, or other deviant lifestyles that are not what God created or intended. Again, they have thrown out the Scriptures. Even some churches have decided that they are going to be sin inclusive in this area from their pastors on down. All this again to tickle itching ears. Just a few decades ago it was dealing with the issues of the millennial reign, how far we have come! We are truly in the last days. We as a body must always be aware of the little things that slip into our teaching from time to time. We always need to make sure that what is taught and preached is solid Biblically, no matter how the ears that are hearing are itching for something new, something exciting, something that pleases them, and scratches their itching ears. Pray: That our ears would be open and scratched to the gospel and the gospel alone!

7 First Kids Children s Ministry Of First Christian Church Family Talk Hebrews 13 Today is all about things. We all have them. Some of the things we have are our favorite and others are extra things. Name some of the things you have! Chapter 13, the final chapter, of Hebrews tells us to be rid of the want of things. We should be content with what we have. God has given us many things and we should be happy with that. Not only so, but we should be willing to share. Many of these things can control our lives if we let them. We could be so obsessed with the stuff we have that we forget to do good works. God tells us to make good use of the things we have and to share. When we share the things we have with people who don't have as much, we imitate God and make Him look good. If our goal is to live a Christ followers then we need to make God look good. Chapter 13 of Hebrews tells us a good way and that is to share the things we have. What does the Bible say? Weekly Verse: Read Hebrews 13:5-6 Who will provide for us? If we have nothing, should we worry? Why or why not? Is there any point in which God would leave us alone? What do you think? Name 3 things that you have. Are any of those extra? Do you NEED all of those things? Chapter 13 tells us that we can live free of the love and desire for things by focusing on God. God will provide for us, He always does. Our part in the process is to trust Him. We can freely give and live in freedom from the love of things by giving to others and trusting God has everything under control! What RU going to do? Is there anything you have that is extra that you are willing to give away? Maybe extra socks or shirts? Maybe extra toys? Talk with your parents about any way that you can share these things with people who do not have a lot. Remember that when you do this, you make God look good and other people can then have stuff. We have been given plenty, let us share. Memory Time Hebrews 13: for he has said 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.