Return in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 13. Hebrews chapter 13. If you're a McShane calendar user, you would have read Hebrews 13 this morning. Or you can still read it tonight.
I don't want you to feel convicted if you didn't read it this morning. You still have a few hours before the day is over. to satisfy your requirement. Now, don't approach the McShane calendar as satisfying a requirement. Rather, approach it as a helpful tool to read through the Bible in a year.
And if you want, there are McShane calendars up there. You can take them home and use them for the coming year, 2013. Well, Hebrews 13, I'll pick up reading in verse 1. Let brotherly love continue.
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them, those who are mistreated, since you yourselves are in the body also. Marriage is honorable among all and the bed undefiled, but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Let your conduct be without covetousness.
Be content with such things as you have. For he himself has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you. So we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?
Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat, for the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin are burned outside the camp. Therefore, Jesus also that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate.
Therefore, let us go forth to him, outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. Therefore, by him, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Obey those who rule over you and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. Pray for us, for we are confident that we have a good conscience in all things desiring to live honorably. But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.
Now may the God of peace, who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation. For I have written to you in few words.
Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly. Greet all those who rule over you and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you. Grace be with you all.
Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the practical import of these words.
We pray now that your spirit would guide and direct us that we would receive with thanksgiving the implanted word and that it would have an effect upon our hearts and upon our lives that we would be transformed by the renewing of our mind so that we be not conformed to this world. We thank you God for the power of scripture and we thank you for the power of your spirit How we thank you for the power of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that has cleansed us, that has washed us, that has made us presentable in your sight. How we praise you for his work, for his gospel, for all those things connected to his life, his death, and his resurrection. We pray in Jesus' holy name, amen.
Introduction
Well, some have seen the book of Hebrews as one long sermon, and if the doctrinal portion has ended in chapter 12, chapter 13 are some concluding exhortations. There are general exhortations in verses 1 to 6. We'll be looking at and focusing on verses 1 to 3 this evening. But just to give you a lay of the land, chapter 13, 1 to 6, general exhortations, There is then instruction on community with relationships with leaders, guarding against heresy, suffering for Christ, and the believer's sacrifice in verses 7 to 17.
There is then a request for prayer, verses 18 and 19, a prayer indicated for them, verses 20 to 21, and then a final appeal and a salutation in verses 22 to 25. In that section of general exhortations in verses 1 to 6, we see an emphasis upon love, upon hospitality, upon compassion, upon fidelity, and upon contentment. Pretty straightforward section. Again, I think it flows naturally out of what the writers already stated concerning the high priestly office of Christ, His redemptive work on behalf of sinners.
This then, as the ones who have been bought by the blood of Christ, this is how we ought to conduct ourselves. This is how we ought to live. These virtues are the practical outworking of chapter 12, verse 28. Notice, therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
Certainly that speaks to corporate worship, how we approach our God on the Lord's Day Sabbath. When we enter into His house, it should be acceptably. God defines what acceptable worship is. It ought to be with reverence.
It ought to be with godly fear. He gives us a reason there in verse 29, for our God is a consuming fire. Then, by extension, all of the Christian life is to be lived in light of verse 28. We ought to live unto God in an acceptable manner.
We ought to live unto God with reverence and godly fear. The way we conduct ourselves toward brethren, and toward strangers, and toward prisoners, and toward spouses, and toward material possessions, all of that ought to reflect this kingdom ethic that we are striving to live before this consuming fire in a manner that is pleasing to Him, in a manner that is consistent with the blood-bought children of God.
Reading of Hebrews 13:1–3
And so let's just take up the first three verses in chapter 13.
First: Let Brotherly Love Continue
The first necessity or the first command or the first imperative is to let brotherly love continue. We are to love the brethren. That ought not to surprise any of us. That ought not to come as a shock.
They were already engaged in this particular act. He doesn't say there's something I need to tell you, something that is absent from your churches, something that you really need to inculcate, or you're in danger of hellfire. No, he says, let brotherly love continue. In other words, it was present among the churches, it was there among the people of God, but like all of us, they needed recurring emphasis, they needed repetition, they needed to be reminded.
Believers need to be encouraged to persevere in this responsibility of the Christian life. We can very quickly become self-centered. We can very quickly become forgetful. We can very quickly become negligent in those things that God says are absolutely crucial in our Christian life.
Brotherly love and then hospitality to strangers and remembering the prisoners are themes that come up in the life and the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember when he's encouraging those sheep in Matthew 25. It's for these types of things. You've loved brethren.
You've been hospitable to strangers. You have visited those who are in prison. So the author here is just reiterating and just highlighting and emphasizing and repeating our Lord Jesus' mandate in terms of our horizontal relationships. Brotherly love is to continue.
Do you remember the upper room discourse? Jesus makes a stunning statement in John 13, 35. He says, by this all men will know that you are my disciples. I wonder if we were the Lord Jesus how we would have fleshed out or teased out that statement.
I might have said, by this all men will know that you are my disciples if you subscribe to the 1689 Confession. We might have said, you know, we'll know that you're my disciples if you read theology. Do you really like the Puritans? No.
Jesus said, by this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. This is the badge of Christianity. This is the identifying characteristic. This is the mark.
This is how people are to spot and know and see that we are Christians. by the love we have for one another. This command is repetitious in the New Testament documents. Romans 12 verse 10. Romans 12 verse 10, be kindly affectionate to one another with, here it is, brotherly love.
Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 2. Ephesians chapter 5 verse 2, walk in love. as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 9. 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 9. But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that I should write to you For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. This is a taught by God virtue, when we love one another.
And then in 1 Peter chapter 1, the Apostle Peter repeats it twice in a small epistle. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 22. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth, through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren. Love one another fervently with a pure heart. Now why is the repetition here?
Because we're thick-headed, we're hard-hearted, we're stubborn, we're selfish, we're neglect... neglectful, or forgetful. We need to be reminded often. This is why in Hebrews 13, as citizens of this Hebrews 12, 28 kingdom, as those who have received salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, let brotherly love continue. Don't let it wander.
Don't let it dry up. Don't let it vanish. Don't let it disappear, but rather cultivate it in your heart. Seek out your brethren and love them. 1 Peter chapter 4, verse 8. 1 Peter 4, 8.
And above all things have fervent love for one another. And then here specifically, there is a reason given for love will cover a multitude of sins. You want to be able to conduct yourself well in your family life? You want to be able to conduct yourself well in church life?
Have love for one another. Why? Because love gives the ability to let you cover a multitude of sins. Now, not huge sins.
If your wife commits adultery or a husband is unfaithful, well, honey, just love me. Now, there's certain things that we need to do in order to repair this or fix this. But with reference to the garden variety, day in and day out sorts of sins, we are to love one another so that we can let love cover a multitude of sins. And then in the epistle of 1 John, several instances where the apostle there highlights the necessity that we are to love one another.
So this isn't isolated in Hebrews 13.1. Let brotherly love continue. So the New Testament is filled with this command that we love one another.
Love Described and Applied
That love is described in 1 Corinthians 13. If you scratch your head and you wonder, okay, I got the command down. I understand that it's supposed to be the case. Now, how do I love?
How do I know what to do in terms of love to the brethren? Well, 1 Corinthians 13 describes it. 1 Corinthians 13, 4. Love suffers long and is kind. I know this is a passage we're all very familiar with.
In fact, some of you can lift your heads right now and repeat the text. I have no doubt. There are certain texts that are in everybody's head. My question is, are these texts in everybody's lives?
Are they being fleshed out? Is it being applied? Just because you can recite Bible verses, good on you. Yeah, great.
Join Awanas. They'll give you a vest and put a lot of little pretty trinkets on you. That's not the purpose for it. I'm not here in condemning Awana.
Please don't make that sort of implication. What's the psalmist say? Thy word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you. Listen to the text.
Not, well, I already know that love suffers long and is kind. But ask yourself, is this the way I am toward brethren? Love suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy.
Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, it believes all things, it hopes all things, it endures all things. Really, is that what your love looks like? I get about, you know, to the O in the first love and I'm already paralyzed. that look kills me, this is a high calling.
The Apostle says, let brotherly love continue. That doesn't mean just tolerate one another. It doesn't mean just show up in the same place with one another. It means this.
This is what love looks like. This is what love, may I say, feels like in the believer. Paul gives a concrete application. Not that that isn't a concrete application.
It's more of a description, more of what love looks like, what love is. He gives a concrete application in Romans 13, 8. Oh, no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, you shall not murder, I'm sorry, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment, they're all summed up in this saying, namely, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Peter T. O'Brien says, this is not simply a call for sentiment or a particular emotion, but has to do with attitudes that are shown in tangible behavior, especially the mutual sharing of possessions and activities. I'm sorry, yeah, possessions and activities.
So the first element in this general exhortation is with reference to love. Let brotherly love continue.
Second: Hospitality Toward Strangers
Notice, secondly, the apostle then says we are to exercise hospitality towards strangers. Verse 2. do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels." I think what he's speaking of there, those who unwittingly entertained angels, were men like Abraham in Genesis chapter 18. Gideon in Judges chapter 6. Manoah, remember he was dealing with the very angel of the Lord himself, unawares to be sure, but he was hospitable, he was gracious, he was kind, he was entertaining strangers.
The Lord Jesus highlights this as something with reference to Christianity, with reference to the life of discipleship. Again, in Matthew 25 in verse 35. For I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink.
I was a stranger, and you took me in. We need to be hospitable, not just to the people that we really like. Not just to the people that have the same interests as we do. Not just with the people that we click with.
In fact, Jesus speaks to that in Luke 14. You may turn there. Yeah, I'm trying to load our consciences with these imperatives because they don't come easy. Even as Christians who have the Spirit, we are hard-hearted.
We are stubborn. We can be incorrigible. We are forgetful. We are full of pride.
We are full of selfishness. We need the weight of biblical data resting upon our shoulders so that we feel what our God would have us to do. And here in Luke 14, 12, he says, then, he also said to him who invited him, when you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back and you be repaid. Don't invite people that are just like you, because they're going to invite you back.
No. He says, but when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. I confess at the outset, brethren, this is a difficult task. I don't leave here on Sunday and find, you know, the most dirty guy downtown Chilliwack and say, jump in the car, let's go have lunch.
But that seems to be what my Lord is saying. I mean, I'd like to have some exegetical prowess out of it. I'd like to be able to justify my lack of obedience to the Lord, you know, driving by people saying, I wish these guys would get out of the road. Whatever Jesus means, He means what he's saying.
But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the lame, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just. This is the Lord's Word. This is the Lord's mandate. This is reiterated by the Apostle in Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 2.
It is in other places in the New Testament. Romans 12, 13. Distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. 1 Peter chapter 4. We already read verse 8, where it says, above all things have fervent love.
And then in verse 9, be hospitable to one another. It doesn't stop there. Just be hospitable to one another. All right, we can do that, but we're not going to like it.
That's not what he says. Be hospitable to one another, here it comes, without complaint. In other words, do it happily. Do it joyfully.
Do it the way the Lord enjoins. Don't just do it because it's on your checklist of good things to do as a Christian, but rather do it out of heart of love, a heart that's been redeemed, a heart that wants to serve Christ, and a heart that wants to do what the Savior says. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. This is a responsibility to be modeled by leaders in the church. 1 Timothy 3.2, Titus 1.8, elders are to be hospitable.
I've already mentioned the Old Testament precedents, Abraham in Genesis 18, Lot in Genesis 19, Gideon in Judges 6, and Manoah in Judges 13. The paradigm, or rather the imperative, is very clear, very simple. Do not forget to entertain strangers. What seems to be implied?
The tendency is there to forget. The tendency is there to overlook. The tendency is there to not engage in this very practical duty of Christianity. Do not forget to entertain strangers.
So the first, love to brethren. Secondly, hospitality towards strangers.
Third: Remember the Prisoners
And then thirdly, by way of a general exhortation, is to remember the prisoners. And in a certain way, verses two and three flesh out the general overarching theme of verse one. Let brotherly love continue. Here's two concrete examples.
Entertain strangers and remember the prisoners. But remember the prisoners. This is an important one. Remember last Sunday night, what we studied?
Real quick, what did we study? 1 Peter 4, verses 12 to 19. Good job. Very good. I know because I preached it.
If I was sitting out there, I'd be going, what was that? Sometimes even as a preacher, what was that? What was it? It was about dealing with tribulation.
We're to expect it, right? 1 Peter 4, verse 12. Do not think it a strange thing, brethren, when these fiery trials come upon you. We're to expect tribulation. We're to expect trial.
We're to expect persecution. As God's people living in an ungodly world, we are pilgrims and sojourners. We are passing through. There is an antithesis between the seed of the serpent, of the serpent himself, and the seed of the woman.
There is a contrast between the believer and the unbeliever. There's the Cain's in the world, there's the Abel's in the world. There's the sheep, and there's the goats. And the goats oftentimes persecute the sheep.
That is a reality. We're to expect it. Peter also says we're to exalt in it. We're to rejoice in it.
We're to count ourselves blessed. Jesus says the same thing in the 8th Beatitude in Matthew chapter 5. We're as well supposed to evaluate its cause. Let none of you suffer as a murderer, as a thief, as a busybody.
Don't suffer for that and somehow pat yourself on the back that you're a godly Christian. No, evaluate its cause and then entrust your soul to a faithful creator. Brethren, we have to all admit, we don't have the sorts of persecution that our brethren elsewhere face. I mean, I think any of us would agree.
Yes, we see encroaching attacks on our liberties. Yes, we see more and more increased pressure on naming the name of Christ in public. We see Christianity being marginalized. We see Islam and other religions being looked upon favorably.
And you can do, you know, you can't insult the Prophet Muhammad unless, you know, there's a death sentence pronounced upon you. But you can insult Jesus, you know, from morning until night. I'm not going to argue that that is a form of persecution. That's a terrible thing.
But so far, praise God most high, we're not in prison. We are not currently. This isn't a prison. You're free to leave.
Please just stick around for a few more minutes, but you are free to leave. You're free to get into your air-conditioned or your heated car. You're free to drive home. You're free to turn on your fireplace.
You're free to walk to your refrigerator. You're free to get water. You're free to get bread. You're free to do whatever it is you want in the confines of your home.
You're free to read your Bible. You're free to read Puritans. You're free to evangelize. We have that freedom and that liberty.
We ought to praise God for it. Yes, pray that God will indeed protect these benefits, but never forget to praise God that we have the benefits and to use them. See, I've got this idea that if we are not using the opportunities afforded to us in peacetime, it's very difficult for me to believe we'll use them during wartime. In other words, when we have freedom to read our Bibles and pray, And we don't always do that?
You can't convince me when we're being threatened with martial power that we're gonna exercise those freedoms. That's a whole nother thing.
Who Are the Prisoners?
Now, this text pertains to those sorts of people that don't live in Canada. Those sorts of people that don't live in the United States. Those sorts of people that are living in oppressive regimes. People, brothers, sisters, friends, loved ones, that are living in Islam country.
In nations in Islam. Roman Catholic countries, secular countries, places where they do not have the liberty to name the name of Jesus Christ. What does the apostle say? Yes, thank the Lord for your liberties, but remember the prisoners.
Don't forget them. Don't put them out of your mind. Don't say too bad for them. Thank the Lord for what we've got.
No, there is a duty enjoined upon the free man. We are to remember the prisoners.
What Remembering Requires
The idea is to remember to care for them. Remember with a view to taking action. Remember for good. Remember in a way which will benefit the person concerned in some way or other.
Not just remember consciously that somebody somewhere doesn't have it as good as you do. But remember in order to pray for them. Remember in order to write to them, remember in order to write to an ambassador, to write to a congressman, remember to send some tangible aid. Remember this is what the Apostle says.
It ought not to be the case that once a week we throw out a few countries and we say, Lord, be merciful to the brethren there. It ought to make its way into our closet. We ought to remember the prisoners. We're not simply to give a verbal assent that we know Christians are suffering somewhere in the world. but rather we are to remember them with a view to doing something about it.
You may not have silver and gold, you may not be able to write big checks, you may not be a pioneer missionary, but you can certainly pray. What can I do to help the prisoners? Get on your face. And always pray.
I hate that idea that, oh, you know, I want to do more than pray. Well, pray first. God blesses you so that you can do more great, but prayer is a great weapon in this fight. Note the objects, the prisoners, or those who are mistreated.
The audience would be able to identify. They would know something about this.
Hebrews 10: Context of Suffering
Go back for just a moment to chapter 10 at verse 32. Chapter 10 at verse 32, but recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings. He's writing to people who had been there, done that. You see the context of the book.
It's written to, get this, Hebrews. It's written to Jewish Christians. Jewish Christians who are suffering persecution from Jewish non-Christians. Jewish unbelievers are pressuring the Christians, go back to the temple, go back to the ceremonies, go back to Moses.
The whole argument of the Epistle is that Jesus is supreme. Jesus is superior. Jesus is the temple of God. Jesus is over Moses.
Jesus is over the angels. Jesus is over the prophets. Jesus is a great high priest. He's over Aaron.
He's over the Levites. He's over all. Do not go back to the temple. Do not go back to the sacrificial system, but rather press on to Zion.
So when these people took a stand for Christ, it cost them something. They endured a great struggle with sufferings. Note verse 33, partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated. For you had compassion on me and my chains and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods.
You don't miss that. Would you want somebody to come over to your house tonight and take your stuff? It's so far removed, isn't it? We don't ever have that threat.
I mean, there's thieves. We personally have been broken and entered twice. Not in our current residence, but... Thugs came in and stole our stuff.
This is the authorities. This is the fuzz. This is the Jewish persecution of the Christians. You had compassion on me and my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.
Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward, for you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith, but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him." So we are to remember the prisoners, those who are mistreated. The children of the devil hate God.
And since they can't ascend into heaven and tear God off His throne and throw Him to the ground and step on Him, they attack His people. Shouldn't be a surprise. Sometimes they get in prison. Sometimes they are mistreated.
Sometimes they're brought up on blasphemy. Sometimes they're executed. Sometimes they have their houses bombed. Sometimes their churches are bombed.
Sometimes their churches are burned. Sometimes whole neighborhoods, Christian villages, are bombed and destroyed. This didn't happen, you know, 20, 50, 100 years ago. It's happening right now.
Every single day. We need to remember the prisoners, as if chained with them, those who are mistreated, since you yourselves are in the body also. Remember them as if chained with them. You certainly would remember if you were in chains, wouldn't you?
I mean, if you were sitting in a prison cell right now and you had shackles on your wrists, you would know that. I think I would know that. That's the image that he uses, as if you're there with them. Don't let them be out of sight and out of mind.
And then the reason, since you yourselves are in the body also. I think there's two ideas here. The first, we are one with them in the body of Christ, the church. Remember the prisoners, those who are mistreated, since you yourselves are in the body also.
They're your brethren. They're your comrades. They're your beloved. They're those for whom Jesus died.
Of course you're supposed to remember them. Of course you're supposed to pray for them. But as well, we also lead a bodily existence and know how difficult it must be to suffer. You know what it's like when you're persecuted or when you have trial or when you have difficulty?
Magnify that a hundredfold and be in a Muslim place where you're in a prison or where you've been brought up on blasphemy. Certainly that ought to draw your heart out to remember them, to care for them. The potential is always there for us to encounter such things ourselves. So those are the three imperatives in this concluding section.
Love the brethren, be hospitable to strangers, and remember the prisoners.
Application: Ten Reasons to Remember
I want to close with a statement with reference to the prisoners. This is from a sermon I preach probably a couple of times. November generally has the international day of prayer for the persecuted church. I think that's terrible.
There's only one day of prayer for the persecuted church. We all need to repent. We're not living in light of Hebrews 13, 3. Every day ought to see us to some degree or other remember the prisoners.
There are positive, blessed applications or blessed remedy with reference to us following this imperative of remember the prisoners. First, remember because prisoners are easily forgotten because they are out of sight. Take the whole abortion situation. Most of us don't go to abortion clinics.
It's an out-of-sight, out-of-mind sort of a thing. Right? It's sanitized. It's removed.
Most of us don't fly to various countries and visit those who are in prison. We need to take Hebrews 13.3 seriously and remember because they are out of sight. Secondly, remember because Jesus commends such a mindset. Jesus commends such a mindset.
We already saw Matthew 25. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.
Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it to me. Remember when Jesus comes to the Apostle Paul or Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. Saul asks him, who are you? He says, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
So Jesus identifies with the persecuted church. Christ identifies with his suffering people and so should we. We ought to remember them in order to pray for them. Pray for them.
Fourthly, we ought to remember them in order to give tangible aid to them. There is nothing inhibiting, there is nothing keeping, there is nothing stopping us from sending checks or some other form of help to suffering brethren. Fifthly, remember them in order to visit them. Perhaps the Lord God is going to facilitate a way whereby you can go to one of these places and go see them and encourage them.
Remember them. Sixthly, in order to write to them. You say, well, they'll never get it. Well, write to them.
You never know. I think it's been the case that someone replied, didn't they? Did they? In our little group of writing, Mrs.
Lawson, somebody wrote back and said, thanks for writing to me. You send a letter to Timbuktu and somebody sends back something, thank you for praying for me. It happens. Seventhly, remember them in order to demonstrate Christian compassion.
Brethren, sometimes our selfishness and our pride and our focusing upon our self only gets a bit old, and it's good for us to remember the prisoners as if chained with them. We need to remember them eighthly in order to help them persevere. It's been interesting following the course of some of these that get out of prison, and what do they do? They thank the Lord and they thank God's people for their prayers.
Ninthly, we need to remember them in order to pray for their persecutors. God would either A. save them or God would B. judge them. For every man that is being brought up on a blasphemy charge for this young 14-year-old mentally handicapped girl that's being treated like, you know, just terribly, somebody is behind this persecution. God save that person and stop them from persecuting or stop them in your justice and in your righteousness.
And then tenthly and finally, and by way of a real practical thing, I've already alluded to it, remember them in order to get your eyes off of yourself. A.W. Pink said this, Most reprehensible and unchrist-like is that selfish callousness which says, I have enough troubles of my own without concerning myself over those of other people. Putting it on its lowest ground, such a spirit ministers no relief.
The most effectual method of getting away from our own sorrows is to seek out and relieve others in distress. I know that doesn't always jive with our flesh. I know that's not always the thing that we might think, but it certainly is a helpful means.
Conclusion: Embrace Christ First
Well, there you have it. Let brotherly love continue, exercise hospitality towards strangers, and remember the prisoners. And we will never do this. We will never want to do this unless we first embrace the Christ of the kingdom. referenced in Hebrews 12, 28.
The only way we will love brethren, entertain strangers, and remember the prisoners is if we have first come to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is characteristic. This is an identifying trait. These are virtues associated with Christ's kingdom.
We don't put these things on if we have never put on Christ. And the way to put on Christ is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, to believe the gospel concerning his life, his death, and his resurrection. We must come to Calvary, and therein we will be taught what it is to love brethren, entertain strangers, and remember prisoners. Well, let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Our Father, we thank you for your word, and we thank you for these very practical exhortations in Hebrews 13. We ask now that you would go with us, help us in our church, help us in our homes to let brotherly love continue, help us to exercise hospitality, help us to remember the prisoners, those who are mistreated, those who are suffering for the cause of Christ, God in heaven. We just pray that you would watch over your saints. We pray that you would watch over those who are in prison, those who are suffering, those who are being tried for faith in Christ Jesus.
Go with us now, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.