Jesus is Greater Than …
Part 6 of 6
“Human Nature”
Hebrews 13: 1-9a
Sermon #1506
November 14-15, 2015
Introductory Thoughts:
The Benson Family Video: In 1992, we initiated the practice
of taking a special offering. One of our partners, The Arizona
Evangelistic Association – a church planting agency, asked if we
could take a monthly special offering encouraging our people to
give a $1 or more in support of planting new churches in
Arizona.
Over the years, we have been regularly asked to support
numerous unbudgeted projects by our community and international
partners, and we have provided our people the opportunity to
support these vital needs by giving beyond their General Fund
support.
I didn’t formally add it up, but I am sure our people have
given more than $1million dollars of their spare change in
support of these various special offering opportunities. Over
the years, through these special offerings, we have planted
churches in Arizona (Surprise, Anthem & Sedona), Cambodia and
other international locations; built homes in Mexico; provided
support to international justice ventures; provided clean
drinking water to over 60,000 people; provided food, shelter,
and support to partners meeting the needs of people living in
Coconino County; and the list literally goes on and on.
I am not sure, when we determined the two special offerings
in November and December would be limited to the needs primarily
found in Coconino County and the ministry of CCoF, but it has
been our practice for quite a few years.
So, beginning this weekend and continuing through December
31, each of us has the opportunity to give to this year’s
Thanksgiving and Christmas offerings knowing our gifts will
support the peak holiday needs of our community partners and
will also meet the needs of people within our CCoF Family as
they arise between now and next year.
Let’s take a few moments and see how some of last year’s
special offering funds were used recently to meet the needs of
one of our families …
View the Video
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I want to thank you for your support of this concept throughout
the years and thank you for praying about your level of support
of this year’s Thanksgiving and Christmas offering. As you do,
just be sure to clearly designate your holiday contributions online, by check, or on the envelope as “Holiday (Christmas or
Thanksgiving) Special Offering”.
Five weeks ago, we initiated our study of the NT Book of
Hebrews. Chris kicked off the series by unpacking the
declarations of the author that Jesus was greater than any OT
prophet and every New Covenant promise is greater than the ones
God promised in the Old Covenant.
Garrett did a tremendous job of teaching us how Hebrews
reveals Jesus is greater than any residue of our sin and how
Jesus obliterates its impact in our lives.
In his exploration of Chapter 10, Chris taught us how the
first century Christians faced their fears (rejection,
persecution, imprisonment, possible death) by drawing upon the
source of strength each of us can find in our relationship with
Jesus.
Two weeks ago, Chris showed us how Jesus is greater than
the challenges each of will face in life. The author of Hebrews
tells us while God does not promise to keep us from experiencing
difficult circumstances; He does promise to provide the
resources necessary to overcome any difficulty we will encounter
in life.
Last week, we celebrated our 31st Anniversary. What a
special time of worship, praise, communion and fellowship.
Thanks to all of you who joined us and to all of you who helped
make that special gathering happen!
Today, we complete our exploration of Hebrews by
discovering how Jesus is greater than any of the temptations our
human nature brings into our daily lives.
Before we take a look at our first subject, I want to cover
two items very quickly – (1) One of the takeaways Christians
must grasp from the Book of Hebrews is this: We do not seek to
adopt the directives of Jesus because He said them; we seek to
adopt the directives of Jesus because He is greater than any
prophet, teacher, or religious leader. In others words, we do
not do what He says because He said it; we seek to do what He
says because He is God’s Son. (Clarify)
(2) We will not have enough time to cover all of the
points listed in your bulletin, so when we run out of time – I
will bring our study to an end and you can go on line and
download a copy of the full sermon.
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So with these two items in mind, let’s begin our final
study of the letter written to the Hebrew Christians by turning
to Chapter 13.
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The Mark of a Christian Disciple
other as brothers.”
Heb. 13:1
…
“Keep on loving each
When Jesus summed up the Old Covenant Law, he noted:
Matthew 22:39 (NIV) “And the second is like it: ‘Love your
neighbor as yourself.’”
In addition to loving our neighbors, Jesus also called His
followers to a higher level of expressing God’s love:
Luke
6:35 (NIV) “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to
them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward
will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he
is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”
In announcing the death of Princess Alice, the third child and
second daughter of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, to the
House of Commons, William Gladstone, shared a touching story:
knowing the dangers of diphtheria, ways it could be contracted,
and contrary to her doctor’s advice, Princess Alice chose to be
involved in the care of her sick children.
Her decision to care for her children would find her holding
her daughter while she choked to death from this dreaded disease
and once when her son was struggling to breathe, this mother,
took the little one into her arms and kissed him. Due to these
exposures, Princess Alice would also contract diphtheria and
succumbed from its effects a few days later.
Real love forgets self. Real love knows no danger. Real love
doesn’t count the cost. The Bible says, “Many waters cannot
quench love, neither can the floods drown it.” Song 8:71
In one of his final encounters with His followers, Jesus
reinforced the importance of love with these words:
John
13:34-35 (NIV) “A new command I give you: Love one another. As
I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all
men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one
another.”
Because Jesus has proven himself to be greater than any
prophet, the writer of Hebrews wanted to be sure his readers
knew and understood a cornerstone of their Christian faith was
to be expressed through the love they bestowed upon their
Christian brothers and sisters!
1Galaxie
Software: 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press, 2002; 2002
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Model Christian Hospitality … “Do not forget to entertain
strangers, for
by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing
it.” Heb. 13:2
The author of Hebrews then wanted his readers to understand
God wants His followers to express His love, not only to His
children, but to strangers, as well! In mentioning
‘entertaining angels’ he refers them to an encounter recorded in
Genesis 18:
Genesis 18:1-5 (NIV) “The LORD appeared to
Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at
the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked
up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he
hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low
to the ground.
3 He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do
not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and
then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let
me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go
on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”
“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”
Abraham’s decision to be hospitable brought angels to his
doorstep. While I can’t promise our acts of hospitality will
always serve God’s heavenly messengers, I can promise it is a
behavior God desires for us to cultivate in our daily lives.
One of our key objectives as a church is to make our
neighborhoods, our city and our Northern Arizona community a
better place to live because we live here. A hope that becomes
more and more real as we grow in our ability to love our
Christian brothers and sisters and model Christian hospitality
to those we encounter each and every day!
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Exercise the Muscle of Christian Compassion … “Remember
those in
prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are
mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” Heb. 13:3
Several years ago in an interview during his battle with
cancer, theologian Francis Schaeffer said, “’The only way to be
foolishly happy in this world is to be young enough, well
enough, and have money enough—and not give a care about other
people.
But, as soon as you don’t have any of the first three, or
if you have compassion for the weeping world around you, then it
is impossible to have the foolish kind of happiness that I
believe some Christians present as Christianity.’”
What is our greatest need in life? Is it to be happy? We
may long for a change in our circumstances, and sometimes that’s
what we get. But a changed life is our deepest need. Changed
circumstances may make us happier, but a changed life will make
us better, for it will make us like Christ.
A changed life that learns to express compassion for the
weeping world that surrounds us!2”
As I have pursued the Christian life, I have found the
development of my Christian character has required me to
exercise all kinds of muscles that had either atrophied or had
never been developed in the first place.
In seeking to get a better handle on my anger, God has
called me to develop the muscles that provide patience. In
seeking to grow in my ability to express God’s love to others, I
have had to exercise the muscles that seek meet the needs of
others over mine. In my desire to model Christian hospitality,
I have had to exercise the muscles that allow me to encounter
people daily and look for ways to meet needs they may have in
their lives.
Over the next six weeks, our ministry has identified
numerous ways each of us can strengthen our muscles of
compassion. Whether it is our special offering, Angel Tree,
Operation Christmas Child, ringing bells for the Salvation Army,
or donating coats for the Gift of Warmth outreach – each of us
have the opportunity to heed God’s call to grow in our Christian
compassion!
2
Galaxie Software: 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press, 2002; 2002
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Colossians 3:12 (NIV) “Therefore, as God’s chosen people,
holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
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The Essential Nature of Christian Marriage … “Marriage
should be
honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will
judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” Heb. 13:4
Have you ever noticed when readings through God’s Word, you
sometimes feel like you are reading the headlines of our local
paper? America, we are being told, is going through a cultural
transformation – we are being challenged to become more open and
progressive – an openness that is taking us away from some of
the key truths taught to us in God’s Word.
During our time here on Earth, each and every American
Christian will need to make a decision on what will truly be
“greater than” in their lives! Is our American culture greater
than the instructions of Jesus? Are our personal preferences
and personal perceptions greater than Jesus’ clear instructions?
Is our world greater than Jesus or have we made the decision
Jesus is truly greater than any other influence in our lives?
Ephesians 5:22-33 (NIV) “Wives, submit to your husbands as
to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ
is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should
submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing
her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present
her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or
any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as
their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After
all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for
it, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his
body.
31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother
and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32
This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the
church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he
loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”
God’s Word is clear – the writer of Hebrews affirms the
truth marriage is to be honored by all. As Christians, we must
be sure we are committed to pursuing family life according to
the principles revealed to us by God.
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Be Aware of Consumerism …
“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.” 6 So we
say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be
afraid. What can man do to me?”
Heb. 13:5-6
Headlines Again – As many of you know, prior to entering
into ministry I pursued a career in retail. While in that
career, it was so long ago, there was no “Black Friday”!
Over the years, the day after Thanksgiving has become known
as “Black Friday” – the day of the year where major retail
chains hope to sell enough merchandise to move them from being
in the “red” to where they move into the black.
Now, these day after Thanksgiving sales are starting the
Monday after Halloween. And, now Cyber Monday has entered our
vocabulary and Christmas ads are permeating the airways well
before the celebration of Thanksgiving has even begun!
It is becoming harder and harder for us to learn how to be
“content with what we have”, but as we move in that direction,
we discover how to begin to live our lives freed from the love
of money!
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Pursue Christian Maturity … “Remember your leaders, who
spoke the
word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life
and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and
today and forever.” Hebrews 13:7-8
“The ultimate goal of the Holy Spirit’s work in a
Christian’s life is to produce spiritual maturity reflected in
consistent Christ-like behavior and attitudes (Gal. 5:22–23;
Luke 14:25–33; Col. 1:23–29). Therefore, obedience to the Word
of God, while not necessary for obtaining eternal salvation, is
the essential goal for each and every Christian (Rom. 6:23–23;
Heb. 5:13, 14; I Cor. 2:14–3:4). However, the Bible tells us
this obedience will be manifested in every believer. If a
believer does not submit to the ministry of the Holy Spirit,
maturity will fail to manifest itself in his/her life (I Cor.
10:1–13; Gal. 5:16–21). Grace Evangelical Society Affirmation of Belief (brochure),
Grace Evangelical Society, Irving, TX.3
In Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, he affirms this
point: Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV)
“It was he who gave some to be
apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some
to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works
of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until
we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son
of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the
fullness of Christ.”
Because Jesus, His ministry, and His Covenant proved
Himself to be greater than any aspect of the Old Covenant, He is
the one we strive to emulate and to grow in our ability to
possess and model His maturity!
3
Galaxie Software: 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press, 2002; 2002
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Carefully Guard Your what You Think …
away by all
kinds of strange teachings.” Heb. 13:9a
“Do not be carried
Someone asked Isaac Newton, “How did you discover the law
of gravity?” His reply, “By thinking about it all the time.”4
Dr. Washington Carver, the world-famed scientist in
Tuskegee Institute, discovered 150 products that can be produced
from the common sweet potato and 300 products from the humble
peanut.
The famous missionary, E. Stanley Jones, once asked Carver
how he came to make all of those discoveries.
The devout scientist replied, “One day I asked God what
could be made out of a peanut. God said to me, “You have brains;
find out for yourself.””5
What do you think about? How much of your day do you think
about God’s Word and the truths contained within its covers?
How much of our culture shapes the way you think about the
truths that guide your approach to life?
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he writes: Eph. 4:17
(NIV) “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that
you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of
their thinking.”
The Bible tells us how we think shapes our approach to
life. Proverbs tells us, “As a person thinks deep within
his/her heart, they become!” (Pr. 23:7)
If we are to prevent ourselves from becoming unChristlike
in our approach to life, we must be sure we are carefully
guarding our thoughts and seeking to think like Jesus:
Philippians 4:8-9 (NIV) “Finally, brothers, whatever is true,
whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever
is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned
or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into
practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
4Tan,
Paul Lee: Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and
Christian Workers. Garland TX : Bible Communications, 1996, c1979
5Tan, Paul Lee: Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and
Christian Workers. Garland TX : Bible Communications, 1996, c1979
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TakeAways:
As we close our time of study from the Book of Hebrews, I
would like for us to take a few final moments to summarize some
of the key insights this book has taught us:
1.
Jesus is Greater than Our Human Culture …
2.
Jesus is Greater than Our Fears … Our Circumstances … Our
Sins
3.
Jesus, His Life, His Ministry, and His Promises are Greater
than any Person, any Promise, and Lifestyle our World has to
offer
4.
Jesus is worthy of our Worship, Praise, and Personal
Devotion
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