Hebrews 13:1-6 Evidence of Your Faith
Hebrews • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro: Would they find evidence to convict?
Intro: Would they find evidence to convict?
There are 21 types of evidence in a court of law
Four types are predominant
1. Admissible evidence
1. Admissible evidence
Admissible evidence is a type of evidence that judges allow lawyers to present in court. Judges determine admissibility based on relevance, authenticity and value.
2. Inadmissible evidence
2. Inadmissible evidence
Inadmissible evidence is evidence that lawyers can't present to a jury. Forms of evidence judges consider inadmissible include hearsay, prejudicial, improperly obtained or irrelevant items.
3. Direct evidence
3. Direct evidence
Direct evidence is a general term for any type of evidence that links a defendant directly to a crime. This type of evidence is typically easy to understand for a jury.
4. Circumstantial evidence
4. Circumstantial evidence
Circumstantial evidence describes information that doesn't directly connect a defendant to a crime but rather implies a connection exists. These examples don't directly prove that a defendant is guilty, but they provide background or context to a crime.
I heard a speaker once make a compelling case
He questioned people who claimed they would give it all up to follow Jesus
He then posed this scenario
If a country like China invaded the US and our freedoms were stripped
If it became illegal to worship anywhere except state approved churches what would you do?
If your neighbor reported you to the police that you were a Christian how would you react?
If they brought you to trial and your life, social media, and finances were examined, would they have enough evidence to convict you of being a Christian?
That hit me between the eyes
A lot of Christians like to do the superficial things of being a Christian, but is there evidence of their real faith
This morning we are going to look six areas where Christians show their faith
Read Hebrews 13:1-3
Read Hebrews 13:1-3
Transition:
As is typical of many NT books the author wraps up by doing a dump of things to do as a believer
Hebrews is no different
After two chapters of encouragement and exhortation, the last chapter is a Christian to do list
The fist six verses are an assessment test to check the evidence of your faith
Faith isn’t something you just say, it is something you show
And I’m not talking about putting it on a necklace or t-shirt
I’m talking about living it
In fact, it is much more powerful when you show it first, then you say it
So with each of these six indicators you need to ask yourself, “Do I show…?”
Brotherly Love vs. 1
Brotherly Love vs. 1
The first piece of evidence is that we show brotherly love
BROTHERLY LOVE is the Concept that appears throughout the Bible, but the specific word for this type of love appears only in the NT.
The word which is usually rendered “brotherly love” in the NT is the Greek philadelphia and is used only five times
Brotherly love in the ancient Christian literature means to treat others as if they were a part of one’s family.
Brotherly love: “to like” another person and to want what is best for that individual.
The basic word used for the brotherly type of love, phileo, sometimes means “to kiss,” which was to show close friendship
This kind of love is never used for the love of God nor for erotic love.
Paul spoke of “brotherly love” in the context of the community of believers, the church.
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
In both cases he encouraged Christians to live peaceably with one another in the church
Is there evidence of brotherly love in your life?
Would you be convicted if brought up on charges?
If brotherly love is something that you need to work on there are a few things you can do
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Start by being friendly
COVID & College students
Show brotherly love and honor them
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
The final thing I would suggest today is to add evidence 1 & 2 together
Hospitality vs. 2
Hospitality vs. 2
The second piece of evidence is that we show hospitality
If there is one trait that has seen the greatest decline in the church, it would be hospitality
The act of bringing people into your home and feeding and entertaining them is disappearing
I blame Martha Stewart and HGTV
Martha Stewart made it seem like everything had to be perfect
HGTV made is seem like you needed the perfect house
HOSPITALITY To entertain or receive a stranger (sojourner) into one’s home as an honored guest and to provide the guest with food, shelter, and protection.
This was not merely an oriental custom or good manners but a sacred duty that everyone was expected to observe.
Only the depraved would violate this obligation.
Hospitality probably grew out of the needs of nomadic life.
Since public inns were rare, a traveler had to depend on the kindness of others and had a right to expect it.
This practice was extended to every sojourner, even a runaway slave or one’s archenemy.
Today, we don’t need to take strangers in or feed their traveling animals
But we do need to encourage those who are down and enrich the community of the church
Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Do you know who does this best in our church?
Our elderly women
Some are single, others are widows, even some are married
There is rarely a time where I go to lunch at the Village Coffee stop where I don’t run into at least a couple of them
We are commanded to show hospitality
How do start doing this?
Start by inviting someone to lunch
Open your house for a party or small group
Seek out the lonely and love on them
Kindness to the Mistreated vs. 3
Kindness to the Mistreated vs. 3
The third piece of evidence that needs to be evident is to show is kindness towards the needy
The author of Hebrews uses the term prisoner because they were the most needy
Also, The situation for prisoners remained dismal in NT times, and concern for such persons is a virtue expected by Christ of every disciple
The prisons in Rome were notoriously bad
If someone didn’t bring the person food they would soon die
Often times the only people who care for prisoners are Christians
Prison Fellowship was started by Chuck Colson back in the seventies
It is still going strong today
vs. 3 has a second part
The author also mentions those mistreated who are in the Body of Christ
For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.
As a member of the Body of Christ, we are commanded to “remember”
To remember is to act on something we have forgotten and then making provision for them
We need to be an advocate for the mistreated
We need to show them kindness
This isn’t alway through food or provision
Often times it is being there for them when they need you
If you struggle in this area or don’t know where to start let me suggest a couple of things
First, Start with prayer
Ask God to give you a burden for these people and then open doors to minister
Second, Make time
These opportunities are never convenient
Finally, follow through
The mistreated are used to people bailing on them
Marriage vs. 4
Marriage vs. 4
The fourth piece of evidence that we need to show is a loving thriving marriage
The Roman culture marriage was a joke
Men saw women as second class citizen, treated them like property, and often had numerous affairs
Sexual immorality was not only encouraged, it was expected
Sleeping with a temple prostitute was considered a part of worship
Homosexuality was well known amongst the rulers and elite
This was the landscape that the Hebrews lived in Rome
It makes you understand why the vs. 4 was so radical back then
It almost seems radical today
We are to honor marriage and keep the marraige bed pure and undefiled
Nature of Marriage God instituted the first marriage in the garden of Eden when He gave Eve to Adam as a wife
Because God instituted it, marriage is more than just a ceremony.
Biblical passages showing that the marriage relationship is based on a covenant or oath sworn before God
However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Contentment vs. 5
Contentment vs. 5
The fifth piece of evidence we need to show is contentment
Internal satisfaction which does not demand changes in external circumstances.
The NT expresses this with the Greek word arkeo and its derivatives.
Hebrews 13:5 summarizes the teaching in advising believers to be free of the love of money and to depend on God’s promise not to forsake His people.
Food and lodging should be enough for the godly
But godliness with contentment is great gain,
for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.
But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
The believer can be content no matter what the outward circumstances
Believers are content to know the Father and depend on His grace
No Fear of Man vs. 6
No Fear of Man vs. 6
The sixth and final piece we see is to show no fear of man
This verse is a combination of two Psalms
It shows us that NT writers often paraphrased OT verses and combined them
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
Closing: