Shownotes
Welcome to Day 2281 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Hebrews-23 Commitment and Contentment – Daily Wisdom
Putnam Church Message – 10/08/2023 Commitment and Contentment Hebrews 13:1-7 We continue our extended series through the book of Hebrews in the New Testament. Last week, our focus was “Watch Out For Worldliness,” which can cause us to get distracted on the marathon of faith. We concluded last week’s passage with the thought of not being like Esau. Don’t settle for a bowl of stew when we have inherited the birthright as God’s child. Today, we begin the last chapter of Hebrews by exploring Standing at the Crossroads of Commitment and Contentment. Let’s read Hebrews 13:1-7. On page 1878 in your Pew Bibles. Concluding Exhortations 13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 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. 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.”[a] 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”[b] 7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Bulletin Insert The third part of Hebrews is neatly outlined with what has been historically called “the three theological virtues” of faith, hope, and love. Chapter 11 presents a procession of men and women of faith worthy of emulation. Chapter 12 sets forth warnings and essential advice to help believers stand firm in the hope of enduring the marathon of the Christian life. In chapter 13, the author examines the Christian’s life of love for God and others.| A CONCISE OVERVIEW OF HEBREWS 13 Our relationship with … • Other believers (13:1) • Strangers (13:2) • Prisoners (13:3) • Our spouse (13:4) • Money (13:5–6) • Leaders (13:7) • Christ (13:8–14) • God (13:15–17) • Prayer (13:18–21) • All the saints (13:22–25) |
Transcripts
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Hebrews-23 Commitment and Contentment – Daily Wisdom
/:Commitment and Contentment Hebrews 13:1-7
We continue our extended series through the book of Hebrews in the New Testament. Last week, our focus was “Watch Out For Worldliness,” which can cause us to get distracted on the marathon of faith. We concluded last week’s passage with the thought of not being like Esau. Don’t settle for a bowl of stew when we have inherited the birthright as God’s child.
Today, we begin the last chapter of Hebrews by exploring Standing at the Crossroads of Commitment and Contentment.
. On page:Concluding Exhortations
13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 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.
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.”[a]
6 So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”[b]
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Bulletin Insert
The third part of Hebrews is neatly outlined with what has been historically called “the three theological virtues” of faith, hope, and love. Chapter 11 presents a procession of men and women of faith worthy of emulation. Chapter 12 sets forth warnings and essential advice to help believers stand firm in the hope of enduring the marathon of the Christian life. In chapter 13, the author examines the Christian’s life of love for God and others.
A CONCISE OVERVIEW OF HEBREWS 13
Our relationship with …
• Other believers (13:1)
• Strangers (13:2)
• Prisoners (13:3)
• Our spouse (13:4)
• Money (13:5–6)
• Leaders (13:7)
• Christ (13:8–14)
• God (: • Prayer (: • All the saints (:As this grand letter comes to its conclusion, the writer becomes increasingly more personal, encouraging, and practical. He has communicated the central thrust of his thesis that Christ is superior in His person and work./ In the last couple of chapters, he has developed the specific topic that Jesus is superior for pressing on in the Christian faith. But a few miscellaneous subjects must be touched upon before he wraps things up. None of these requires a page-after-page development of an argument or a deep analysis of key Old Testament passages, as was the case in the treatments of Christ’s preeminence above angels, our spiritual rest, or Christ’s Melchizedekian priesthood. However, none of the points in this chapter are mere trivia. All of them are too significant to be left unsaid.
A casual glance at Hebrews 13 reveals the broad spectrum of concerns calling for a personal, practical response. In this first section that we are focused on today,/ we’ll look at a series of practical exhortations addressing how we live in the here and now—how we treat each other in the body of Christ (13:1–7). Seven verses may seem like a small amount to constitute an entire message, but the rapid-fire pace of the practical appeals will keep us on our toes as we ask the proper question, “Am I giving sufficient time and attention to each of these matters?”
13:1–3
The first three verses of Hebrews 13 set the tone for the rest of this “love” chapter. They come at us like the first jabs of a boxer at the bell ringing, alerting us that the round of practical principles has begun. Each command is crafted for maximum impact. Each one leaves us defenseless and demands from us a personal response.
In 13:1, the overall theme for the chapter is established: “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.” The phrase “love each other as brothers and sisters” is one word in Greek: philadelphia. The word is a compound of two other Greek words. The first is philos, referring to a disposition that is “kindly disposed, devoted.” We might call this the love of close friendship./ The other word is adelphos, meaning “brother or sister.” Together, we get the idea of close, intimate love between family members. What a wonderful way to kick off a series of commands on living in a close, loving community with people who aren’t blood relatives but share fellowship based on a common bond.
For Christians, the common bond of union is Jesus Christ. Our relationship with Him, established by the Holy Spirit, makes us all children of the Father and spiritual “brothers and sisters.” This kind of love demands something from each of us. We’re not just attending spiritual meetings during the same time slot; we’re members of a body. The appeal to maintain philadelphia carries with it strong implications for taking seriously our identity as members of the same, permanent spiritual family.
However, This family-like atmosphere can’t stay in the church. The author immediately addresses the all-too-common error of close church communities becoming ingrown, exclusive, and cliquish. To do this, the author intentionally contrasts two words /that start the same/ but end differently. We are not only to maintain philadelphia, but also philoxenia. Chances are, you’ve heard of xenophobia, the fear of “strangers” (xenos). Those on the outside. Foreigners. People who are not like us. Just as we are to love fellow believers (philadelphia), we are to show love for strangers (philoxenia).
Guthrie places this exhortation for showing hospitality toward outsiders in its historical context:
In the environment of the early church it was essential, /since alternative facilities for travelers were such that Christians would not choose to make use of them. Wayfarers’ hostels, where they existed, were notorious for immorality. But the New Testament concept of hospitality has a much more comprehensive application than this. In the Middle East, hospitality is a means of friendship. To invite a person to a meal is to extend fellowship to him.
Think about it in this manner. You are not particularly religious and are on a road trip that, by necessity, takes you through rough downtown areas of some cities such as Chicago or San Francisco. You are weary, exhausted, hungry, and needing rest. All your overnight options in the present city would keep you tossing and turning with one eye half-open … or someone will tempt you toward immorality, drugs, or try to rob you. What are you to do?
Suddenly, you come across a well-maintained and brightly lit church, so you pull into the parking lot. With a pleasant smile, a man and his wife invite you in and, with a friendly pat on the back, extend a warm invitation to you to stay in their home, which is attached to the church. You are now behind a locked door with a hot meal and a warm bed. During this meal, you witness something you’ve never seen before—a family that actually shows love and respect for each other. They have friends who stop by to share provisions for your journey. They greet one another in the name of somebody called “Jesus.” They pray to God for you and share a story of hope—forgiveness of sins, resurrection from the dead, eternal life as a free gift of grace. What a welcome alternative to the seedy area of town that you are in! You leave the following morning refreshed in body, mind, soul, and spirit. In the next large city, you might seek out this group of men and women called “the church, or Christ followers.” So it was in the 1st Century. Believers were to show hospitality to strangers.
See how that was supposed to work? Both love for those within the community of faith/ and love for those on the outside served to extend an invitation of sorts to a relationship with the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But 13:2 also notes another dimension of hospitality coyly slipped into the author’s encouragement: Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!
Now, the Greek word angelos can simply refer to human “messengers” (see Luke 7:24). However, that sense doesn’t seem to fit the context here; these are not messengers of the gospel, but “strangers”—those outside the fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ. Here, the author is probably alluding to Old Testament episodes in which the people of God literally and unknowingly hosted angelic beings (Gen. 18:1–22).
The third sphere of loving relationships goes one more step outside our comfortable inner circle of philadelphia to “prisoners” (13:3), most likely a reference to brothers and sisters who had been the victims of persecution and incarceration for their faith … but also with application to any who have been marginalized or cast out by society.
otherwise be forgotten (Matt.:Let’s shift our thoughts now to 13:4
At the time of the writing of Hebrews, many held a low view of marriage. Celibates, like the Jewish sect of the Essenes, despised marriage as an indulgence of the unholy flesh, emphasizing celibacy instead. On the other hand, many in the immoral society surrounding the original Hebrew audience of the letter would have treated marriage as an irrelevant commitment, preferring to engage in fornication and all sorts of deviant practices destructive to marriage and the family. And even members of relatively stable families often treated the marriage relationship as one of convention rather than conviction, or pragmatics rather than passion.
But the author of Hebrews directly challenges a low view of marriage—whatever form it may take. He places the adjective “honor” at the front of the sentence in a position of emphasis. In contrast to the triad of celibacy, immorality, and indifference, Christian marriage should be honored. The marriage bed—the most intimate, personal aspect of the husband-and-wife relationship—should be kept “pure” (Heb. 13:4). The marriage relationship should never be broken by adultery or defiled by fornication, both of which will fall under the judgment of God. It, once again, is part of God’s immutable law of planting and harvesting.
As Christians in a corrupt world, we may be unable to reverse the destructive ideas and practices that mark us as a “modern” society, with its doors open to promiscuity and perversion. However, we can attend to our own marriages and set an example of purity, sanctity, and faithfulness. That’s how we honor the marriage relationship and press on toward maturity through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s shift our thoughts once more to 13:5–6
The principles examined in 13:1–4 can be summed up in one core value of Christians: commitment. The next set of examples focuses on another priority in the Christian life: contentment—being at peace with what we have as well as with our position in life. Not constantly trying to scrape together more and more and MORE … but being satisfied with what God provides. If you are unsatisfied and content with what you currently have, you will never be satisfied with more. It seems like we are perpetually trying to scratch our way to the top of the ladder to outrank everyone around us(I know I have those tendencies and have to guard against them) … but instead, we must be faithful in the realm_of_influence we find ourselves.
The first matter—contentment with material things—is addressed in 13:5–6. The New Testament addresses the believer’s relationship with money and material things in many places. Over and over, the same theme emerges in the discussion: contentment. In Philippians 4:11–12, Paul writes, Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.
Similarly, Paul instructed Timothy, his understudy in ministry (1 Tim. 6:7–8). After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.
The author of Hebrews also knows the ever-present threat of the “love of money” (Heb. 13:5). He shared the same dim view of this greed for wealth as the apostle Paul, who wrote, 1 Tim. 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. The writer of Hebrews had been constantly warning his readers about the dangers of drifting, wandering, and falling from the faith. Now, with this sharp warning against moneygrubbing, he not only urges contentment (Heb. 13:5), but he also gets to the root of the lust for material wealth: doubts about God’s faithfulness as Provider and Protector (13:5–6). To inoculate his readers from the disease of doubt that drives discontent, he quotes from Joshua 1:5 and Psalm 118:6. With these passages, he undergirds the faithfulness of God in the same way Paul does in Philippians 4:19: And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
the Lord our God, as Proverbs:10 The name of the Lord is a strong fortress;
the godly run to him and are safe.
11 The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense;
they imagine it to be a high wall of safety.
13:7
In 13:7, the author addresses the matter of contentment with our God-appointed position in the body of Christ. In the church, God has given all of us gifts for us to serve. Some positions are more of a teaching role, “who taught you the word of God” (13:7). But all ministry roles are essential. Assuming they have conducted themselves commendably, they are to be seen as worthy of imitation.
When we, as believers, find contentment in our position of humility within our local assembly of believers, we can begin to “remember” those whose lives are worth imitating because of their lives of faith (Heb. 13:7). We recall what it was about specific individuals that made—and continues to make—an impact on our spiritual lives. We contemplate how they have endured hardships and persevered in faith and hope. And we follow their example as role models.
Finding contentment in our position within the body of Christ takes humility. Imitating those whose lives are lived faithfully isn’t easy—especially when we consider that they are sinners saved by grace, just like us. But by exercising such contentment, we are placing our trust not simply in imperfect humans who will let us down, but in the preeminent Lord of the church, Jesus Christ.
APPLICATION: HEBREWS 13:1–7 – Bulletin Insert
Standing at the Crossroads of Commitment and Contentment
The chances are pretty good that something in this barrage of practical exhortations today has impacted your heart … or would if you let it. Maybe several of these pointed principles caught your attention.
As we leave today, we need to ponder the author’s discussion of commitment and contentment and identify, specifically and personally, an attitude that needs to change or an action that needs to start or stop. Take the next few moments to revisit these areas and ask yourself the hard questions: Is my relationship regarding this matter what it needs to be? Where do I stand on this issue, in my mind, heart, and actions? What must I do to get on track with where the Lord wants me to be? Could it be:
Expressing brotherly love (philadelphia)
Showing hospitality toward outsiders (philoxenia)
Ministering to the marginalized (providing physical and spiritual needs)
Being faithful in my marriage (Love is always a choice, not a feeling)
Being content with my possessions (now and if you have more)
Embracing my place, imitating the faithful ones in the church (be an example worth imitating)
Commitment means not compromising with your culture when the shifting standards of society are at odds with God’s Word. Contentment means trusting that God is your ultimate Provider, knows what’s best for you, and will never leave or forsake you. (graphic) Right now, take the author’s principles in 13:1–7 from the theoretical to the practical. When you do, you’ll take your Christian life of faith, hope, and love to the next level. That is what we need today as we stand at the crossroads of commitment and contentment.
Next week, we continue in the final chapter of Hebrews as we explore more practical precepts in a message titled Changeless Truths in a Shifting World. Please read Hebrews 13:8-17 to prepare.