WEBVTT 00:00:20.268 --> 00:00:21.649 Thank you, thanks for listening. 00:00:22.089 --> 00:00:23.690 Please pray aloud this prayer with me. 00:00:23.690 --> 00:00:33.895 Eternal God, the grass withers and the flower fades, but your word will stand forever. 00:00:33.895 --> 00:00:39.838 Holy Spirit, help us to love and trust your word Through Jesus Christ. 00:00:39.838 --> 00:00:41.338 We pray Amen. 00:00:41.338 --> 00:00:47.203 This is super helpful for people who are old and can't see anymore. 00:00:47.203 --> 00:00:50.185 Okay, our scripture for today is a long one, so remain standing if you're able. 00:00:50.185 --> 00:00:52.469 It's Hebrews 13, 1 through 21. 00:00:53.649 --> 00:00:55.192 Let brotherly love continue. 00:00:55.192 --> 00:01:01.622 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 00:01:01.622 --> 00:01:07.563 Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated. 00:01:07.563 --> 00:01:19.153 Since you also are in the body, let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 00:01:19.153 --> 00:01:27.213 Keep your life free from love of money and be content with what you have, for he has said I will never leave you nor forsake you. 00:01:27.213 --> 00:01:31.930 So we can confidently say the Lord is my helper, I will not fear. 00:01:31.930 --> 00:01:33.625 What can man do to me? 00:01:33.625 --> 00:01:37.569 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. 00:01:37.569 --> 00:01:41.790 Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 00:01:41.790 --> 00:01:46.530 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 00:01:47.331 --> 00:01:56.727 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods which have not benefited those devoted to them. 00:01:56.727 --> 00:02:11.372 We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat, for the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 00:02:11.372 --> 00:02:17.473 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 00:02:17.473 --> 00:02:23.570 Therefore, let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. 00:02:23.570 --> 00:02:30.221 Go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured, for we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come Through him. 00:02:30.221 --> 00:02:37.425 Then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God that is the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 00:02:38.305 --> 00:02:43.487 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. 00:02:43.487 --> 00:02:50.451 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. 00:02:50.451 --> 00:02:55.794 Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. 00:02:55.794 --> 00:03:02.217 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. 00:03:02.217 --> 00:03:11.259 I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner Now. 00:03:11.259 --> 00:03:22.669 May the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do, his will working in us, that which is pleasing in his sight. 00:03:22.669 --> 00:03:26.730 Through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. 00:03:26.730 --> 00:03:29.843 Amen, this is God's word. 00:03:29.843 --> 00:03:31.911 You may be seated. 00:03:38.501 --> 00:03:39.062 Well, good morning. 00:03:39.062 --> 00:03:39.705 My name is Ben. 00:03:39.705 --> 00:03:41.150 I'm a pastor here with New City. 00:03:41.150 --> 00:03:46.865 One of the things I've been doing this whole spring thus far is trying to shrink my sermon length. 00:03:46.865 --> 00:03:59.270 Those of you who serve in city kids are thankful, and one of the reasons for that is because I wanted to create more space for the all of life spotlight so that you could hear the word of God from the people of God, like David just offered to you. 00:03:59.270 --> 00:04:01.782 So thank you, david, for your encouragement of us. 00:04:01.782 --> 00:04:04.870 Today we actually conclude our spring sermon series. 00:04:04.909 --> 00:04:09.943 We've spent February through May working through the book of Hebrews and we get to the end. 00:04:09.943 --> 00:04:19.170 Today, and throughout this whole book, what we've been hearing over and, over and over again is how can we have a deep rooted, unshakable confidence? 00:04:19.170 --> 00:04:22.428 That's why we named the sermon series Unshakable. 00:04:22.428 --> 00:04:27.903 It actually comes from Hebrews 12, 28, which says that we've received a kingdom that cannot be shaken. 00:04:27.903 --> 00:04:29.870 How do we touch that? 00:04:29.870 --> 00:04:34.790 How do we get more of that into our lives, this unshakable, deep-rooted confidence? 00:04:34.790 --> 00:04:45.673 Well, over and over and over again, the book of Hebrews has been asking and answering the question which is is Jesus sturdy enough to be the center of your existence? 00:04:45.673 --> 00:04:51.908 And the resounding answer is absolutely yes, absolutely yes. 00:04:51.908 --> 00:04:57.928 And so as we close out this series, we're just going to keep looking at the same thing we've been looking at for the whole spring semester here. 00:04:58.810 --> 00:05:09.536 But I want to warn you, the commentators three at least on Hebrews 13, said that there is no rhyme or reason or structure to how Hebrews 13 as a text unfolds, which is really hard for a preacher. 00:05:09.536 --> 00:05:17.740 So you can discern for yourself whether this is completely self-motivated or if this actually is a good idea. 00:05:17.740 --> 00:05:20.307 But I structured the sermon around our definition of a disciple. 00:05:20.307 --> 00:05:29.670 Our definition of a disciple is that disciples are united to Jesus in communion with God, community with one another and co-mission for the world. 00:05:29.670 --> 00:05:33.365 And so those are my three points communion, community and co-mission. 00:05:33.365 --> 00:05:44.048 So if you have a Bible, a device, the worship guide, get Hebrews 13 in front of you, and we're actually going to begin with the end, which is this kind of benediction that this letter closes out with. 00:05:44.108 --> 00:05:45.831 Look at verse 20 with me. 00:05:45.831 --> 00:05:48.925 It says this Hebrews 13, 20. 00:05:48.925 --> 00:06:02.242 Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you to do his will. 00:06:02.242 --> 00:06:20.985 That's the summary of that benediction, but the big question is how. 00:06:20.985 --> 00:06:23.440 How Well? 00:06:23.440 --> 00:06:27.028 Verse 21 says simply through Jesus Christ. 00:06:27.028 --> 00:06:28.773 Through Jesus Christ. 00:06:28.833 --> 00:06:30.062 What does that actually mean, though? 00:06:30.062 --> 00:06:34.901 Let me ask you, what if there was something more true of you than your story? 00:06:34.901 --> 00:06:39.812 What if there was something more real to you than your thoughts and feelings and desires? 00:06:39.812 --> 00:06:45.012 What if there was something more relevant to you than the swirling circumstances around you? 00:06:45.012 --> 00:06:48.946 What if you were defined by something deeper than all of those things? 00:06:50.199 --> 00:06:54.505 Well, if you belong to Jesus through simple faith, there is something that defines you. 00:06:54.505 --> 00:06:56.767 There is something that's more significant to you. 00:06:56.767 --> 00:06:58.927 That is what we call union with Christ. 00:06:58.927 --> 00:07:26.226 The fact that you are united to Jesus is the truest thing about you if you belong to Jesus, and so the relevance of that it matters, because the whole book of Hebrews exists to tell you that the only thing that will enable us to face the intolerability of the uncertainty of our lives is the truth in Hebrews 13, eight, which says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 00:07:27.500 --> 00:07:39.406 And if we are united to him, although the world seems to constantly just be passing us by, what if there was a center that we could penetrate into that, had a stillness, a calm about it. 00:07:39.406 --> 00:07:40.971 What if that existed? 00:07:40.971 --> 00:07:44.447 What if that was on offer to you at any given moment of any day? 00:07:44.447 --> 00:07:54.764 You and me, we ebb and flow, we rise and fall, we wax and wane, but our Lord is the same today as he always has been. 00:07:54.764 --> 00:07:56.490 He's unchanging. 00:07:56.490 --> 00:08:09.569 And so, in moments of uncertainty, the unchangeableness of Jesus is actually a source of reassurance that we can draw from, because we're united to him by faith and we can draw on that union through communion with God. 00:08:09.569 --> 00:08:13.463 That's the hope, that's the point of this text in many ways. 00:08:14.706 --> 00:08:30.309 Now, when everything around you seems like it's shaking, we can turn to Jesus and we can confidently say to him you who move all things, are yourself unmoved, you're stable, you're steadfast, you're secure. 00:08:30.309 --> 00:08:34.029 Jesus alone is firm in the midst of flux. 00:08:34.029 --> 00:08:40.125 You know, scientists say that one day our sun is gonna just burn out, which blows my mind, by the way. 00:08:40.125 --> 00:08:42.748 One day it's just gonna stop doing what it's been doing. 00:08:42.748 --> 00:08:50.451 But listen, if that's true, the brilliance of Jesus will shine for eternity, never growing dim, never growing cold. 00:08:50.451 --> 00:08:54.927 He's the same yesterday and today and forever. 00:08:54.927 --> 00:09:09.448 This matters because that also means, if he's our unchanging center, then the high watermark of our experience with Jesus is not some past moment in our lives, but a present possibility at any given moment. 00:09:09.448 --> 00:09:10.091 This is what I mean. 00:09:10.091 --> 00:09:12.889 There is no nostalgia in Christ. 00:09:12.889 --> 00:09:17.869 There's never a time when you go oh, I wish I could get back to those glory days. 00:09:17.869 --> 00:09:23.500 He's the same yesterday and today and forever. 00:09:23.500 --> 00:09:36.706 And so if your history in Christ feels like anything, if you want it to feel like now or never, you need to realize that Christ is himself an all-sufficient and unchanging friend right here, right now. 00:09:36.706 --> 00:09:40.421 I want that to be a lived reality for everybody in this room. 00:09:40.421 --> 00:09:47.046 I want you to know what that looks like, what that feels like, how to draw on that, and so that's what we call communion with God. 00:09:47.046 --> 00:09:50.182 It's simply drawing on all that God has for us in Jesus Christ. 00:09:50.182 --> 00:09:53.028 Now we use two words to describe how to do that. 00:09:53.028 --> 00:09:56.147 The first one is we receive and then we respond. 00:09:56.147 --> 00:10:01.024 So throughout this sermon you're going to hear me talking about receiving from Jesus and responding to Jesus. 00:10:01.024 --> 00:10:04.370 Let me tell you a quick story about what that looks like in practice. 00:10:08.379 --> 00:10:12.610 In the 1800s, there was a guy named George Mueller who literally cared for 10,000 orphans through prayer alone. 00:10:12.610 --> 00:10:13.692 So amazing. 00:10:13.692 --> 00:10:17.807 And in 1838, his donations just suddenly stopped. 00:10:17.807 --> 00:10:19.230 He had no more money. 00:10:19.230 --> 00:10:31.561 It had dried up, didn't have a way to provide for them and so, with no money left, he walked around his garden and he meditated on Hebrews 13, 8, our passage Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 00:10:31.561 --> 00:10:42.549 And then he wrote in his journal this quote as I prayed, the present need came to mind and I said to myself Jesus, in his unchanging love and power, has always provided. 00:10:42.549 --> 00:10:49.001 He will provide again, and he writes. 00:10:49.001 --> 00:10:51.091 A flow of joy came into my soul while realizing the unchangeableness of our Lord. 00:10:51.091 --> 00:10:56.908 And moments later a letter arrived with the exact amount he needed to feed the orphans. 00:10:58.561 --> 00:11:04.470 You see, this is important because George Mueller knew how to draw on all of Jesus for all of life. 00:11:04.470 --> 00:11:22.811 But it's also important that you know that there is nothing that anyone in the past has ever experienced any strength, any love or joy, any brave hope or patient endurance, anything, any kind of deep, welling confidence that anybody had in the past who walked with Jesus. 00:11:22.811 --> 00:11:27.089 That Jesus himself does not stand by your side today, ready to give you. 00:11:27.089 --> 00:11:31.801 We simply receive all that God has for us. 00:11:31.801 --> 00:11:36.655 Quote through Jesus Christ, end quote as verse 21 says it. 00:11:36.655 --> 00:11:43.538 So if we're united to Jesus, we're also united to everyone who is also united to Jesus. 00:11:43.538 --> 00:11:47.317 Our communion with God flows into our community with one another. 00:11:47.317 --> 00:11:50.476 Look with me at verse one and I'm gonna walk through this. 00:11:50.476 --> 00:11:55.655 If this feels like staccato, disjointed, like I'm just bop, bop, bop, that's because that's how the text reads. 00:11:55.655 --> 00:11:56.933 Look with me at it. 00:11:56.933 --> 00:12:00.477 In verse one, it says this let brotherly love continue. 00:12:00.477 --> 00:12:02.062 Now, I love this. 00:12:02.551 --> 00:12:17.552 I think Hebrews 13 is a sermon, and one of the most enjoyable things as a pastor is to commend the people that you get to lead, and that's what the author's doing here. 00:12:17.552 --> 00:12:18.274 Let brotherly love continue. 00:12:18.274 --> 00:12:18.775 You're doing it. 00:12:18.775 --> 00:12:19.035 Keep it up. 00:12:19.035 --> 00:12:25.158 And I can say that about New City, because I, you know, I can pop the hood on this place, I can see how the sausage is made, as they say, and it's actually really good. 00:12:25.158 --> 00:12:26.811 Like y'all love each other. 00:12:26.811 --> 00:12:27.192 Well. 00:12:27.192 --> 00:12:32.123 And so I can say let brotherly love continue, just like the author can say that. 00:12:32.123 --> 00:12:34.467 And so I can say let brotherly love continue, just like the author can say that. 00:12:34.467 --> 00:12:35.169 But I wanna look at this. 00:12:35.169 --> 00:12:37.173 What's happening here? 00:12:37.173 --> 00:12:40.839 Well, he's using this word brotherly love, which is Philadelphia in Greek. 00:12:40.839 --> 00:12:41.720 I just think that's cool. 00:12:42.140 --> 00:12:51.668 And it's this sharing in this common life together, and really what it means is, if I belong to Jesus, I also belong to you. 00:12:51.668 --> 00:12:56.458 In Kenya they have this term, ubuntu, which means I am because we are. 00:12:56.458 --> 00:13:06.836 It's a deeply Christian understanding of what it means to be human, unlike our expressive individualism in the West, which is very unchristian in many ways. 00:13:06.836 --> 00:13:08.777 I am because we are. 00:13:08.777 --> 00:13:13.410 That's why we let brotherly love continue, because we've got a stake in it with each other. 00:13:13.410 --> 00:13:20.231 Your flourishing is my flourishing and vice versa, and so we pursue the brotherly love of one another. 00:13:20.231 --> 00:13:20.653 Why? 00:13:20.653 --> 00:13:28.374 Well, because Hebrews 2, way back in February, if you remember it, says Christ is not ashamed to call us his brothers and sisters. 00:13:28.374 --> 00:13:47.971 So if Jesus can look at you in all of your sin and suffering and sorrow and, far from turning his nose away in embarrassment, actually moves towards you in compassion and tender heartedness, how much more then can we receive that from him and respond by offering that brotherly love to our siblings in Christ? 00:13:47.971 --> 00:13:50.394 What would that look like practically? 00:13:50.394 --> 00:13:59.765 Well, look at the next verse, verse two Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 00:13:59.765 --> 00:14:05.852 I don't know why it's unawares. 00:14:05.852 --> 00:14:08.361 That's the text, but I always stumble over that word because it's just really interesting to me. 00:14:08.361 --> 00:14:09.466 But this idea of hospitality is in Greek. 00:14:09.466 --> 00:14:10.750 It's actually stranger love. 00:14:10.750 --> 00:14:14.818 That's what the word hospitality means the love for the stranger, the outsider. 00:14:16.120 --> 00:14:20.596 There's a woman named Rosaria Butterfield who came to know Jesus out of the LGBTQ plus community. 00:14:20.596 --> 00:14:22.320 She wrote a few books on it. 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:27.681 The third one she wrote is called the Gospel Comes with a House Key, one of my favorite books on hospitality. 00:14:27.681 --> 00:14:40.517 And in there she asks really, the book is asking this question Is the Christian community strong enough to call people to repent and to come out of the LGBTQ plus community and into the Jesus community? 00:14:40.517 --> 00:14:46.355 Do we have on offer a family that can replace the possibility of never having family again? 00:14:46.355 --> 00:14:49.076 And she asked this question. 00:14:49.076 --> 00:15:09.278 She says to you and to me she says have you ever thought that you, your house and your time are not your own, but rather God's ordained way of escape for someone Like your table today after worship, inviting some rando, a stranger, as the text says, to come over and to share a meal with you, might be God's way of escape for their life. 00:15:09.278 --> 00:15:11.513 To leave temptation, to leave sin. 00:15:13.115 --> 00:15:15.738 Romans 15 puts it like this welcome one another. 00:15:15.738 --> 00:15:20.345 That's how we respond as Christ has welcomed you. 00:15:20.345 --> 00:15:21.245 That's what we receive. 00:15:21.245 --> 00:15:25.691 Do you hear this? 00:15:25.691 --> 00:15:26.912 We welcome one another because God in Christ has welcomed us. 00:15:26.932 --> 00:15:27.572 Look at verse three. 00:15:27.572 --> 00:15:30.778 It says this remember those who are in prison, and here's the reason why. 00:15:30.778 --> 00:15:33.101 As though in prison with them. 00:15:33.101 --> 00:15:36.386 And those who are in prison, and here's the reason why. 00:15:36.386 --> 00:15:37.288 As though in prison with them. 00:15:37.288 --> 00:15:38.168 And those who are mistreated. 00:15:38.168 --> 00:15:47.547 Here's the reason why, since you also are in the body, jesus so identifies with us that, whatever state we're in, when we visit a brother or sister in prison, we are visiting Christ himself. 00:15:47.547 --> 00:15:48.775 That's what Matthew 25 says. 00:15:48.775 --> 00:15:57.623 He says this quote I was in prison and you came to me, and the righteous in that day will look at him and go I don't remember that Jesus. 00:15:57.623 --> 00:15:57.971 He's like. 00:15:57.971 --> 00:16:02.018 Well, when you did it to the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you did it to me. 00:16:02.018 --> 00:16:04.399 That's how identified Jesus is with his people. 00:16:05.629 --> 00:16:09.714 And so the text is so interesting though it says as though you're in prison with them. 00:16:09.714 --> 00:16:09.995 Why? 00:16:09.995 --> 00:16:11.177 Because it says as though you're in prison with them. 00:16:11.177 --> 00:16:11.258 Why? 00:16:11.258 --> 00:16:13.682 Because if I'm united to Jesus, I'm united to you. 00:16:13.682 --> 00:16:14.244 And then it goes on. 00:16:14.244 --> 00:16:17.676 It says, since you also are in the body, people debate what that actually means. 00:16:17.676 --> 00:16:28.451 But John Calvin and I both think it refers to the body of Christ, which is the most pretentious way I could say that I understand, but I just wanted you to know I got some credibility behind having that view. 00:16:28.451 --> 00:16:33.894 Is that this is you're in the body of Christ, you're united to one another. 00:16:33.894 --> 00:16:35.355 Many members, one body. 00:16:35.355 --> 00:16:38.658 That's why, when your brothers or sisters are being mistreated, you feel it. 00:16:38.658 --> 00:16:44.400 You feel it If you belong to Jesus, you belong to one another. 00:16:45.160 --> 00:16:46.042 Look with me at verse four. 00:16:46.042 --> 00:16:56.288 Let marriage be held in honor among all and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 00:16:56.288 --> 00:17:02.336 I have a practice of when I find somebody's, find out somebody's anniversary, I usually try to write it down and text them happy anniversary. 00:17:02.336 --> 00:17:15.555 The reason why is because I think it's probably maybe more important to say happy anniversary than happy birthday, because it's statistically harder to stay married than it is to stay alive, and so that's just important to me. 00:17:15.555 --> 00:17:18.602 I'm just like I want marriage to be held in honor by all. 00:17:18.602 --> 00:17:19.791 I want to just hold that up. 00:17:19.791 --> 00:17:21.635 That's what the text says here. 00:17:22.498 --> 00:17:25.671 But why is marriage such a big deal for the people of Jesus? 00:17:25.671 --> 00:17:31.262 Well, it's because from beginning to end, genesis to Revelation, the Bible's a divine romance. 00:17:31.262 --> 00:17:44.499 It's the story of a faithful husband pursuing his unfaithful bride, the church going after her, doing whatever it takes with an undying love to woo and win her affection back to himself. 00:17:44.499 --> 00:17:55.615 And so when we receive Jesus's fidelity through adversity towards us, we can respond by being faithful to our spouses, even when they don't deserve it. 00:17:55.615 --> 00:18:04.438 And so it says in the text, though one of the motivations here is that God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 00:18:04.509 --> 00:18:09.839 If that's true, what hope is there for those of us who have experienced defilement in this area of our lives? 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:18.819 Well, if you look at verse 12, it says this Jesus suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 00:18:18.819 --> 00:18:21.458 You see, jesus alone can cleanse the defiled. 00:18:21.458 --> 00:18:26.099 He alone can bring undefilement. 00:18:26.099 --> 00:18:36.799 I've got thousands of hours of therapy sitting with people and I can tell you there is nothing that deals with guilt and shame of your past, quite like the blood of Jesus Christ. 00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:40.200 If you don't know what I mean by that, come talk to me afterwards. 00:18:40.200 --> 00:18:41.797 I'd be happy to share with you what that means. 00:18:41.797 --> 00:18:59.163 There's nothing, no psychotherapeutic techniques, that can deal with the guilt and the shame, especially around sexual sin, like this text is talking about, like the fact that Jesus shed his own blood to sanctify us, to make us holy and clean before him. 00:18:59.163 --> 00:19:02.432 That's what he does for his bride. 00:19:02.452 --> 00:19:03.896 Hebrews 13 doesn't stop there. 00:19:03.896 --> 00:19:05.561 It goes from sex to money. 00:19:05.561 --> 00:19:08.536 It's almost as if the Bible's relevant for contemporary problems. 00:19:08.536 --> 00:19:09.238 Look at verse five. 00:19:09.238 --> 00:19:13.894 Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have. 00:19:13.894 --> 00:19:17.121 For he has said I will never leave you nor forsake you. 00:19:17.121 --> 00:19:21.500 So we can confidently say the Lord is my helper, I will not fear. 00:19:21.500 --> 00:19:23.105 What can man do to me? 00:19:24.028 --> 00:19:28.443 We actually preached a sermon series on the art of divine contentment last year. 00:19:28.443 --> 00:19:34.362 I think Damien, this Sunday last year preached on this text, so you can go back and listen to it, the series on contentment. 00:19:34.362 --> 00:19:40.156 But what we said there was the secret of contentment is not having what you want, but wanting what you have. 00:19:40.156 --> 00:19:44.736 The secret of contentment is not having what you want, but wanting what you have. 00:19:44.736 --> 00:19:45.719 What do we have? 00:19:45.719 --> 00:19:58.480 Well, the text here in verse five says the triune God, the creator of the universe, who upholds all things by the word of his power, says to us I will never leave you nor forsake you, you have God. 00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:00.273 You have God. 00:20:01.278 --> 00:20:10.114 As we receive the fact that God is for us and will never leave us, we respond by refusing to get caught up in the endless drive for more and better. 00:20:10.114 --> 00:20:16.741 We will not believe the greener grass conspiracy, because, let me just tell you, the grass is not greener on the other side. 00:20:16.741 --> 00:20:21.221 The grass is greener on the septic tank, and you can trust me, I have a septic tank. 00:20:21.221 --> 00:20:22.045 That's just true. 00:20:22.045 --> 00:20:24.040 And so we refuse that. 00:20:24.040 --> 00:20:29.605 We've refused to live lives of discontentment, thinking that if only I had X, y or Z, I'd have enough. 00:20:29.605 --> 00:20:38.196 God is looking at you and he's saying you have me, that's enough. 00:20:38.196 --> 00:20:44.199 But it's hard to believe that sometimes, and so what we need is some proof of concept that Jesus is enough, and that's why this text goes right from being content to our leaders. 00:20:44.259 --> 00:20:45.000 Look at verse seven. 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:50.715 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. 00:20:50.715 --> 00:20:54.864 Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 00:20:54.864 --> 00:20:57.128 Remember your leaders. 00:20:57.128 --> 00:21:06.261 I wanna take a moment to obey this, because it's the Bible, that's what you do with it, and I wanna actually invite you right now to remember some of your leaders. 00:21:06.261 --> 00:21:13.761 I love this biblical definition of leadership your leaders are those who spoke to you the word of God Pretty simple, pretty straightforward. 00:21:13.761 --> 00:21:16.876 So my question for you is who taught you? 00:21:16.876 --> 00:21:22.374 Maybe it was a faithful parent or grandparent who led you to faith. 00:21:22.374 --> 00:21:26.021 Maybe it was a friend or a campus minister who discipled you. 00:21:26.021 --> 00:21:35.236 Maybe it was somebody that you can recall, bring to mind, a pastor, or I'm saying that leaders here is simply those who spoke to you the word of God. 00:21:36.519 --> 00:21:38.303 Now we talk a lot about disciple making here. 00:21:38.303 --> 00:21:48.443 Our mission is to call, form and send disciples who make disciples, and the reason for that is is because disciple makers are simply those who speak the word of God into people's lives. 00:21:48.443 --> 00:21:51.984 They're those who follow a way that has a good outcome. 00:21:51.984 --> 00:21:55.461 That's why we have this all of life guide is to help you with your way of life, hoping and aiming towards a good outcome. 00:21:55.461 --> 00:21:57.884 That's why we have this all of life God is to help you with your way of life, hoping and aiming towards a good outcome. 00:21:57.884 --> 00:22:01.088 Disciple makers are people who live by faith, so that other people can see. 00:22:01.088 --> 00:22:02.830 They've got models of what that looks like. 00:22:02.830 --> 00:22:06.741 But what is the connection between verse seven and verse eight? 00:22:06.741 --> 00:22:07.805 Look at the text again. 00:22:07.805 --> 00:22:13.505 It says this in verse eight Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 00:22:13.505 --> 00:22:16.128 How does verse eight follow? 00:22:16.128 --> 00:22:29.663 Well, across the generations, the true apostolic succession is disciple makers, who have been models of what this unchanging character of Christ looks like, on display in the people who lead us. 00:22:30.894 --> 00:22:34.460 Leaders are models of Christ in our midst, what CS Lewis calls little Christs. 00:22:34.460 --> 00:22:36.205 We all need them. 00:22:36.205 --> 00:22:46.962 We need leaders that stand up in front of us, who have the ability to speak to us the word of God and have a way of life that has a good outcome and live by faith in a way that we can actually imitate and emulate them. 00:22:46.962 --> 00:22:51.644 But leaders will come and go, and yet Jesus Christ remains the same. 00:22:51.644 --> 00:23:04.455 There's a saying, that is, leaders ought to be content to preach the gospel, die and be forgotten. 00:23:04.455 --> 00:23:04.717 That's true. 00:23:04.717 --> 00:23:04.957 That's true. 00:23:04.957 --> 00:23:07.722 But this text is saying remember them for your sake, remember those people, pay attention to them. 00:23:07.722 --> 00:23:10.048 And it goes on to explain why. 00:23:10.048 --> 00:23:16.540 In verse nine, it says do not be led astray, do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good Now. 00:23:16.580 --> 00:23:18.962 There were two Carls who were influential theologians in the 20th century. 00:23:18.962 --> 00:23:31.403 One was Carl Barth, the other was Carl Henry. 00:23:31.403 --> 00:23:33.423 This is going to be a nerdy illustration, so bear with me. 00:23:33.423 --> 00:23:48.384 They met once, actually at a press conference, and Carl Henry, who was the first editor of Christianity Today that's a magazine if you've ever seen it before, and he was the first editor and Carl Henry asked Carl Barth if the resurrection of Jesus was a historical fact. 00:23:48.384 --> 00:23:50.560 Did Jesus really rise from the dead? 00:23:50.560 --> 00:23:52.020 He asked him in a really cool way. 00:23:52.020 --> 00:24:03.721 He pointed to the press table which had reporters from Religious News Service, the Washington Post, all these other media outlets, and he asked if these journalists had their present duties in the time of Jesus. 00:24:03.721 --> 00:24:11.036 If they were journalists or reporters back then, was the resurrection news in the sense that anybody on the street would understand the term news? 00:24:11.036 --> 00:24:17.229 Karl Barth mockingly asked him did you say you're a Christianity today or Christianity yesterday? 00:24:17.229 --> 00:24:25.541 Got a laugh, everybody laughed in the room until Carl Henry replied yesterday, today and forever, mic drop punk rock moment. 00:24:25.541 --> 00:24:26.204 I love that. 00:24:26.204 --> 00:24:29.163 I don't know if I'm that witty, but that was great. 00:24:29.699 --> 00:24:35.922 And here's why I tell you that story, because Christians have always been pressed to update their teachings. 00:24:35.922 --> 00:24:41.303 This is outdated, this is archaic Christianity yesterday. 00:24:41.303 --> 00:24:49.994 Come on, you should just assume that Jesus is the channel marker for our lives, that when we navigate strange and diverse teachings. 00:24:49.994 --> 00:24:51.801 We don't wanna run aground on either shore. 00:24:51.801 --> 00:25:00.863 We wanna let Jesus be the channel markers, because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, and we dare not lose the good news about him. 00:25:00.863 --> 00:25:02.006 Why? 00:25:02.006 --> 00:25:06.943 Because verse nine says it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace. 00:25:06.943 --> 00:25:14.465 You see, the grace of Jesus alone embraces us where we are in our sin and suffering and sorrow. 00:25:14.465 --> 00:25:23.084 But the grace of Jesus also alone empowers us where we are, not to have to stay there but to live with fruitful mission in all of life. 00:25:23.084 --> 00:25:25.974 And that's where this text ends. 00:25:25.974 --> 00:25:28.904 Is that Hebrews ends by sending us out into the world. 00:25:28.974 --> 00:25:32.182 Look at the third point here, which is co-mission for the world. 00:25:32.182 --> 00:25:41.060 Look at verse 12, it says this so Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 00:25:41.060 --> 00:25:52.497 Therefore, let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured, for here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 00:25:52.497 --> 00:25:59.503 You see, jesus was mocked for his faith, not so that we wouldn't be, but so that when we are, we can do it with him. 00:25:59.503 --> 00:26:04.844 It says in the text that we get to go and bear the approach that he endured. 00:26:04.844 --> 00:26:08.358 And that only happens as if we identify with Jesus publicly. 00:26:08.358 --> 00:26:10.746 What we call witness. 00:26:10.746 --> 00:26:12.661 That's what the scriptures call witness too. 00:26:13.575 --> 00:26:15.174 Co-mission is work and witness. 00:26:15.174 --> 00:26:18.760 It's this ability to bear witness to Jesus with our words and with our lives. 00:26:18.760 --> 00:26:23.118 And so the author of Hebrews says therefore, let us go to him. 00:26:23.118 --> 00:26:24.825 Well, where is Jesus? 00:26:24.825 --> 00:26:31.486 According to the text, he's outside the camp, among the least and the last and the lowly and the lost. 00:26:31.486 --> 00:26:34.377 The same place he was all the time when he was walking around on earth. 00:26:34.377 --> 00:26:35.460 He's still there. 00:26:35.460 --> 00:26:36.823 You wanna find Jesus? 00:26:36.823 --> 00:26:37.423 Go to the poor. 00:26:37.423 --> 00:26:38.266 You wanna find Jesus? 00:26:38.266 --> 00:26:39.186 Go to the lost. 00:26:42.535 --> 00:26:50.421 Co-mission we're sent on mission with Jesus, to the frontier of mission, where he is, where he's pushing back the reign of darkness with the kingdom of the beloved son, and he's inviting you to join him. 00:26:50.421 --> 00:26:52.717 Therefore, let us go to him. 00:26:52.717 --> 00:27:02.907 That's what Hebrews 13 says, and so, as we do that, that purpose, it says that we seek the city that is to come, the new city, you could say. 00:27:02.907 --> 00:27:04.869 This is where we get our name from. 00:27:04.869 --> 00:27:16.842 We here work hard in our jobs and with our children and with our neighbors, and we bear witness, and we do all these things in a way that says this city is not the end all be all. 00:27:16.842 --> 00:27:23.402 We seek a city that is to come and that actually sets us free to love sacrificially, here and now. 00:27:24.183 --> 00:27:24.925 Well, what does that look like? 00:27:24.925 --> 00:27:25.728 Look at verse 15. 00:27:25.728 --> 00:27:41.584 It says through him now, that's I'm calling that, drawing on our union with Christ Through Jesus Christ, then let us do three things Continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God that is the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 00:27:41.584 --> 00:27:44.618 Second thing is do not neglect to do good. 00:27:44.618 --> 00:27:50.036 And the third thing is to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. 00:27:50.036 --> 00:27:59.605 I wish I had more time, because in the New Testament there are eight spiritual sacrifices that replace all of the sacrificial system in the Old Testament. 00:27:59.605 --> 00:28:01.221 We got three of them here. 00:28:01.221 --> 00:28:06.323 The three of them here are praising God, doing good and sharing what you have. 00:28:06.323 --> 00:28:10.883 That's how you live, in such a way that looks like seeking a city that is to come. 00:28:10.883 --> 00:28:15.223 You praise God, you do good and you give freely. 00:28:15.223 --> 00:28:22.224 You share what you have and as we do that, we join with Jesus through work and witness on his mission in the world. 00:28:22.224 --> 00:28:30.441 And these are, as it says, sacrifices that are pleasing to God, I wanna land the plane here with verse 17. 00:28:31.525 --> 00:28:37.275 It says this obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls. 00:28:37.275 --> 00:28:45.561 As those who will have to give an account, let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. 00:28:45.561 --> 00:28:52.105 I wanna ask this question what does it mean that your leaders are those who will have to give an account? 00:28:52.105 --> 00:29:01.541 I have a daily reminder that pops up and it says this simply this day and that day, that day is capital D day. 00:29:01.541 --> 00:29:12.141 This day and that day and this day is the day that the Lord said he's made and I'm just gonna walk in it, rejoice in it, but that day is the day when I will stand before King Jesus one day. 00:29:12.141 --> 00:29:13.625 A day's coming. 00:29:13.625 --> 00:29:16.420 It's either coming or it's not, and I'm assuming it's coming. 00:29:17.115 --> 00:29:31.105 And so, if it's coming, the Bible is clear that there's this day when we'll all stand before King Jesus one day, and people who reject Jesus will receive condemnation, but people who receive Jesus will receive commendation. 00:29:31.105 --> 00:29:35.799 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 00:29:35.799 --> 00:29:49.744 This is important, and so, as we stand before Jesus on that day, the word for the judgment seat is not a courtroom bench, it's actually the judgment of judges at an Olympic games. 00:29:49.744 --> 00:29:51.689 Now think about that. 00:29:51.689 --> 00:29:56.903 If you're competing in the athletic games in the Olympics, you're not getting punished for anything. 00:29:56.903 --> 00:29:59.804 You're getting rewarded for how you ran the race. 00:29:59.804 --> 00:30:02.541 That's the judgment seat of Jesus. 00:30:02.541 --> 00:30:05.421 For Christians, it's a place of reward. 00:30:05.421 --> 00:30:14.202 It's a place where he gets to respond to your love of response to him, where he gets to tell you how he feels about your life, of love towards him and towards your neighbor. 00:30:14.202 --> 00:30:15.760 That's what happens in this day. 00:30:19.394 --> 00:30:25.026 But here's the thing that day's going to come and I'm going to be evaluated for how I stewarded my life and for how you stewarded your life. 00:30:25.026 --> 00:30:28.017 I'm going to give an account for you. 00:30:28.017 --> 00:30:35.180 That gives me a sobriety, a hopeful one, because Jesus is really kind, but a sobriety nonetheless. 00:30:35.180 --> 00:30:46.143 And so there's gonna be a day when I stand before King Jesus and I'm gonna look at him in the eyes and he's gonna look back at me and they're gonna be the kindest eyes that anybody's ever seen and yet utterly uncompromising. 00:30:46.143 --> 00:30:51.701 And in that moment I'm gonna feel searched and known as Psalm 139 said. 00:30:51.701 --> 00:31:16.605 And in that day I'm going to stand before him and I'm going to have to give an account for my life and the lives of the people that I have the privilege of leading, and so one of the reasons why this text ends here and why it's such an important thing for us to make a big deal out of, is because I want more than anything else to hear him say well done, good and faithful servant, you've been faithful over a little, here's a lot. 00:31:16.605 --> 00:31:29.277 Enter into the joy of your master, and I think on that day I'm going to experience that, and as I stand before him and I give an account for my life, I want that day to be a day of joy, not just for me, but for you too. 00:31:30.660 --> 00:31:39.423 This is one of the reasons why we talk so much about disciple making here at New City, because Jesus is not like one of those teachers where you're like I have no idea how to get an A in this class. 00:31:39.423 --> 00:31:41.340 He's just super clear about it. 00:31:41.340 --> 00:31:47.763 In Matthew 20, he says how we serve is what greatness looks like in his kingdom. 00:31:47.763 --> 00:31:51.623 In 22, he says how we love and in 25, he says how we steward our lives. 00:31:51.623 --> 00:31:57.964 So those are some of the things he's going to be reviewing with us, but in Matthew 5 is the most explicit one I know. 00:31:58.025 --> 00:32:05.415 Matthew 5, 19 says this whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. 00:32:05.415 --> 00:32:07.160 They're still in, they're just least. 00:32:07.160 --> 00:32:12.540 But whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 00:32:12.540 --> 00:32:18.358 Translation disciples who make disciples will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 00:32:18.358 --> 00:32:22.497 Those who do his commands and teach his commands is right there in the text. 00:32:22.497 --> 00:32:37.776 And so we want to order and organize everything we do here at New City to champion you on that day, so that we can quote give an account for your life, not with groaning, give an account for your life not with groaning but with joy, and you can too. 00:32:37.796 --> 00:32:42.520 And New City, I can say with delight I look forward to that day. 00:32:42.520 --> 00:32:45.083 It's gonna be a good day for me and for us. 00:32:45.083 --> 00:32:48.625 Not because we're so successful and self-righteous. 00:32:48.625 --> 00:33:00.884 Jesus is so kind to us, his grace empowers us to be about the things he's about, and then he rewards us with a generosity that is utterly undeserved in every way. 00:33:00.884 --> 00:33:04.016 So let me end where this text ends Now. 00:33:04.056 --> 00:33:21.741 May the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do, his will working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. 00:33:21.741 --> 00:33:22.724 Amen. 00:33:22.724 --> 00:33:38.520 Let's pray, king Jesus, we do look forward to that day when we get to stand before you, when we get to say nothing in my hands I bring simply to the cross I cling. 00:33:38.520 --> 00:33:46.903 What a day of joy that'll be, because we get to rejoice not in who we are and what we've done, but because of who you are and what you've done. 00:33:46.903 --> 00:33:49.959 Jesus, give us your spirit. 00:33:49.959 --> 00:33:52.156 Work in us that which is pleasing to your Father. 00:33:52.156 --> 00:33:55.462 We pray in your name, amen.