Hebrews 13:1-8 9/9/07

In the name of Jesus, who humbled himself to be our Savior, dear friends in Christ,

This morning we’re worshiping under the theme of “Christian Humility.” A large part of being humble is looking outside ourselves and our own interests and being more concerned with those around us. We take on a Christ-like attitude in showing love for others, and as a result, we become more sanctified Christians as we exercise the faith into which we have been called.

Before we get too much farther along, I’d like to make two assumptions: First, I’d like to assume that everyone here today is a sinner who still hasn’t reached the standard of perfection. If you don’t fit in that category, you may leave because this sermon is meant only for sinners. Secondly, we must assume that any change that comes about in our lives, any improvement that might be made, comes only as a result of the faith which the Holy Spirit has worked in our hearts. So today we’re going to receive practical applications concerning changes that are needed in our lives – changes that can only take place by the power of a Savior who always remains the same.

This morning I’ve expressed these thoughts for today’s sermon with this theme:

“A Changeless Savior Changes Lives”

I. Jesus Christ is always the same
II. Because of him, we can never be the same

This letter to the Hebrew Christians follows a familiar pattern set forth in many of the Apostle Paul’s letters. After presenting the facts of how we are justified, or declared “not guilty,” through Christ, the writer continues with applications as to how to take the faith that’s in our hearts and let it shine forth in how we live our lives.

That’s what we have in the words before us this morning. Let’s start out with the last two verses, the first of which serves as a reminder of how we were exposed to the Lord’s message of salvation (v 7), “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” We’re not told who these “leaders” were, but we do know how they led: they “spoke the word of God to you.” They didn’t come to these Hebrew Christians with their own wisdom or ideas, but they simply presented the truths of God’s Word. Many of these leaders were no longer with them, but they still were alive – living eternally with their Savior in heaven. By imitating their faith, these Christians could look forward to the same outcome – the same eternity – as those who brought them this life-saving message.

We do well to also remember – and to thank! – those who spoke the Word of God to us. Ultimately it is the Lord who’s responsible for you being here today, but he did use someone as his instrument to bring you the gospel. Most of us have our parents or grandparents to thank. For others it might be a pastor or Sunday School teacher, or perhaps just a friend or an acquaintance. Take a look at what the Lord did for them and how he’s been their source of strength and comfort through life. Then take their example to heart and “imitate their faith.” As we’re told earlier in this letter (Heb 6:12), “Imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” Then, by God’s grace, someday someone might be imitating you!

As important as our faith may be, it’s the object of our faith that saves us. Jesus Christ is the content of what the leaders taught, the one whose life motivated their lives of God-pleasing service. He’s their Savior from sin, and he’s ours as well, because he doesn’t change (v 8), “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” This is one of the most comforting passages in all of Scripture! No matter how much we may feel that our world and our lives are falling apart, our Savior’s love for us remains constant. As the psalmist proclaims (Ps 73:26), “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” In an ever-changing world, we still have a changeless Savior. We have one who has always had our eternal welfare in mind. Jesus didn’t want us to remain in a world filled with evil, decay, and the consequences of sin. He wanted us to enjoy a life of peace and happiness in God’s kingdom. That’s why he came to this earth – to rescue us from the rubble of sin. So he became one of us, giving us the greatest example of what humility is all about (Php 2:8), “He humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” It’s through that death that we were given the forgiveness of sins!

All this took place almost 2000 years ago, but it might as well have been yesterday, because “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” His promises are the same, his power is the same, his forgiveness is the same, his love is the same! With Jesus nothing has changed! And with that assurance and comfort, we have all the motivation we need to make changes for him. Paul puts it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:15, “He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” In other words, we’ll strive to put off sinful desires and live instead for our Savior, because a changeless Savior changes lives! Because of him, we can never be the same!

Understand that while here on this earth we’ll always be a combination of “saint” and “sinner.” There will be a constant battle being waged within us between what we call our “New Self” and our “Old Adam.” Paul speaks of this confrontation in Romans (7:18,19), “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.” Understanding what we’re in for, we still can be victorious in these daily battles. That’s because we have a changeless Savior on our side!

Let’s turn our attention to the applications presented in our text. The first centers around love (v 1), “Keep on loving each other as brothers.” As Christians we share a common bond, centered in our love for the Savior. That makes us brothers and sisters in Christ, members of the same spiritual family. We’re all fighting the same spiritual battle against the devil and a world of sin, so it makes sense that we solve any differences that may arise and keep working toward the same goal. That requires that we “keep on loving each other as brothers.”

Our love is not to be restricted only to those whom we know. The real test of love is often seen in how we treat those we don’t know (v 3), “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Remember Abraham and how kind he was to the three strangers who happened to be passing through? Although he didn’t know it at the time, they were actually angels – and one of them was God himself! This doesn’t mean that the only reason we should be kind to strangers is because they might be angels, but it does remind us of Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 (v 40), “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” I ran across a definition for “hospitality” that I found rather interesting: “the outward expression of love for the unexpected and uninvited.” It’s interesting especially when we apply this to those who may visit our church. As fellow believers move and travel more, let’s make sure our church is warm with hospitality. Let’s welcome strangers to our services and new members into our midst, showing them how anxious we are to have them as a part of our church family.

Not only should strangers receive our love and concern, but especially those who are suffering (v 3), “Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” The prisoner and the persecuted need our attention. We emulate our Lord’s own love for the lost when we show love for those who are suffering by trying to put ourselves in their shoes. Those in prison may be most open to hearing about what their Savior has done for them, eager to receive true hope in what may seem like a hopeless situation. And let’s do more than simply give our “silent applause” to those who are being mistreated, whether it be at school or at work or even in our own homes. Learn to stand up for others, especially for those who may be suffering for their faith, for doing “the right thing,” for speaking out against sin and those who promote it. Let those who suffer know that we’re there for them and that they’re not alone!

The author turns to another area where love is expressed and where changes may have to be made (v 4), “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” This is an admonishment for both those who are married and for those who are single. It’s an area where the devil works overtime to lead us astray. Let me throw some scary statistics at you: One poll on marital infidelity indicated that about one in every five married people had been unfaithful. Another source gave even more grim numbers, stating that approximately 50% of husbands and wives will have an affair at some time in their marriage. Those who have been unfaithful like to ease their guilt by referring to their infidelity as a “romance,” an “affair,” a “beautiful experience,”and the like, but God gives it a different name – “adultery” and “sexual immorality.” Add to this the increase in pornography, the lack of any kind of sexual morality on most TV shows, and society’s eagerness to accept whatever “any two consenting adults” want to do, and you see the problem. We need to make changes, and so do our children. Unfortunately, they’re learning from our bad examples. Some more alarming statistics: Teenagers, on average, experience sexual intercourse for the first time at age 15. Almost half of those ages 15-19 claim to have had sex. Approximately 75% of those claim to not feel any guilt as a result. Is marriage being honored by all? Do our children accept premarital sex as the norm? Is it any wonder the divorce rate is out of control, and our children aren’t understanding what marriage is all about?

Changes are needed, and here’s some more statistics – this time more encouraging than alarming: Even though estimates have one in every three marriages today ending in divorce, that ratio drops to one in every 50 marriages for those who were married in a church. It drops even more, to one in every 105 marriages, for those couples who attend church regularly. And it drops to one in every 1155 marriages for those couples who attend church and have home devotions. That has to affect our teenage children as well in their relationships. Get the picture? Center your life around the changeless Savior, and you’ll see changes – positive, God-pleasing changes – in your life!

There’s one more area of our lives mentioned that tempts us to go astray. It also involves misguided love (v 5), “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.” We’ve talked about this area before. Suffice it to say that as we live in a country where the average household carries $8000 in credit card debt, where almost every licensed driver has his or her own vehicle, and where we’re surrounded by more possessions than we know what to do with, still we find ourselves struggling financially as a synod, complaining about things we don’t have, and worrying ourselves sick about our bank accounts, our 401Ks, and our financial portfolios. The apostle Paul learned to make some changes in this area. In Philippians 4:11 we hear him proclaim, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” What was his secret? Read on in verse 5, “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” With God at our side, we have all we need! We can be content! We echo the words of verse 6, “So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” Content with God’s perfect provision and covered with God’s perfect protection, the believer walks toward heaven’s shores unafraid. He knows that with God on his side he has a majority of one, regardless of what foes or fears he faces! Such confidence comes from having a changeless Savior who promises (Mt 28:20), “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Because of Christ, you and I will never be the same. He’s made a change in us, taking away our sinfulness and replacing it with his righteousness, making us fit for heaven. Until we reach our eternal destination, our lives are to be ones of constant change, striving to resist temptations and instead to follow our Lord and his will. And when we do fall, our Savior picks us up and dusts us off. He calls for us to repent, to acknowledge our failures, to trust in him for forgiveness, and to use his power to make changes and to amend our sinful lives.

Yes, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” He doesn’t change – he doesn’t have to! But he changed us from sinners into saints. Let’s be sure that while on this earth we continue to change – for the better – and for him!

Amen

–Rev. Jonathan Rockhoff