Sunday Link – August 31, 2025 – Our Life of Faith

WELCOME and THANKS for joining us.

OPENING COMMENTS

• The theme for this week is a life of faithful obedience.
• The selected readings that support the theme are … Psalm 81:1, 10–16 • Jeremiah 2:4–13 • Hebrews 13:1–8, 15–16 • Luke 14:1, 7–14
• Our sermon will be based on the passage in HEBREWS, where the author gives a description of what a life of faith in Christ looks like.

OPENING CHORUSES

OPENING PRAYER

BIBLE READING

Hebrews 13:1–8, 15–16

Let brotherly love continue.  ² Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing  some have unwittingly entertained angels.  ³ Remember the prisoners as if chained with them — those who are mistreated — since you yourselves are in the body also.  

⁴ Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.  

⁵ 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.”  ⁶ So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”  

⁷ Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.  ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.   

¹⁵ Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, ^[confessing]giving thanks to His name. ¹⁶ But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.  

SERMON

Our Life of Faith

Hebrews 13:1–8, 15–16 ESV

Who first shared the gospel of salvation by grace through faith with you?  Who in your life helped you grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ?  Why were they so influential in your life?

Often, we do not pay enough attention to how the choices we make and the way we live our lives influence the people around us.  As those who follow Christ, we are called to reflect the Lord Jesus Christ to those around us.  We participate in his life and ministry in this world through our everyday lives, as we work, play, rest, and interact with one another.

In Hebrews 12, the author summarizes the point being made throughout the book, that Jesus Christ ratified a superior covenant in his blood, which supersedes that which was ratified using the blood of animals.  God’s word to his people is his own Son, the One the apostle John called the Word of God, the Logos.  He intercedes for us and acts as our high priest, our intercessor, and our mediator, with our Father in the Spirit.  Having established these indicatives of our faith, the author offers a description of what this new life in Christ looks like in our everyday lives.

Read Hebrews 13:1–8, 15–16

As we go through this passage, we want to remember two  things.

• The first and most important thing we want to remember is who God is, specifically in the person of Jesus Christ.  In our passage for this Sunday, we learn that Jesus is unchanging in his saving grace and love.  And we find that the Lord is our Helper, who is faithful and present in every instance, enabling us to be content and at peace in troubling times.
• The second thing we want to remember is that our lives are meant to be a response of gratitude and praise for all God has done for us in Jesus Christ.  The author of Hebrews shares some specific ways in which we, as those who trust in Jesus, live in this world.  As we look at them, we can see that these ways are reflective of the life and person of Jesus Christ.   All we say and do is in and through Jesus, done in his name, for the glory of God.

We realize that often we do not act and speak as those who are a true reflection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  So, as we read these passages filled with imperatives or commands, we may believe that these are instructions for what we must do.  Instead of thinking of these things in a prescriptive manner, it is better for us to think of them as a description of what a life of faithful obedience to Christ looks like.  When we trust in Jesus and allow him to live his life in and through us by his Holy Spirit, this is how we behave.

As we prayerfully read this passage in openness to the Holy Spirit, let’s hear from God, and allow him to do whatever he needs to in our hearts and minds.  As we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit and allow him to convict us and do his transforming work in our hearts and minds, and in our lives, this passage becomes a way in which God works his healing and transformation in our lives.  By his Spirit, he gives us new motivations, new goals, and new desires.  The Lord provides us with his power and presence, bringing us his strength and renewal.

Let us pray: Father, by your Spirit, please open us up to what you want to say to us in this passage.  Enable us to hear your words to us.  As we look at these verses, grant us a deeper repentance and faith.  Turn our hearts and minds back to you.  May your Spirit transform us by faith, in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Hebrews 13:1–3 ESV

“Let brotherly love continue.”  Does this mean sisterly love is unimportant or omitted?  No, this is not referring to genders or love from or between males.  The Son of God showed himself to be our Brother.  We should love one another as our elder Brother, Christ, has loved us.  He showed his love for us as he joined us in our darkness and brought us into the light of God.  One evidence of faith in Christ is the love of God which is shared between us as brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.

Our heavenly Father shared his table with us, making a place for each person in and through Jesus our Lord.  Our heart of hospitality toward others reflects God’s own heart of hospitality.  We want to remember that in showing hospitality to others, we are showing hospitality to Jesus.  When Abraham offered Eastern hospitality to strangers, he discovered he was hosting the Lord himself.

Jesus was held a prisoner by those who should have treated him with honor and respect.  There are those who are imprisoned for his sake, or who are imprisoned unjustly, as he was.  We do not want to forget those who are held captive in this way.  Jesus came to set captives free, and we want to remember those who need release, for Jesus’ sake.

The author of Hebrews continues with a new topic:

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Hebrews 13:4 ESV

Our worldview regarding sexual relations needs to be grounded in the person of Jesus Christ.  In his incarnation, the Son of God joined himself with humanity.  He became one with us, so that we might be one with him.  That is a connection that will never be broken by him.  Even now, as our resurrected and ascended Lord, he bears our glorified humanity.  This shows God’s heart when it comes to our covenant relationships.

When we look at God’s covenant relationship with ancient Israel, we find that the nation did not stay faithful to God, but pursued other love interests, depending on others instead of depending upon God.  Despite ancient Israel’s unfaithfulness, which made her worthy of God’s “divorce,” the Son of God came in human flesh to bring restoration and renewal in the form of a new covenant relationship.

God desires faithfulness, fidelity, and integrity in our relationship with him and in our relationships with one another.  For this reason, we choose to esteem the other better than ourselves and to cause no harm in the use of our body when it comes to sex.

Going on, the author of Hebrews tells us how to live contently:

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.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5–6 ESV

When we are in need or want, we often immediately think of all our available options.  We wonder how we are going to work things out using what we have on hand.   The money we have or the money we lack becomes our focus.  But the author of Hebrews reminds us instead to focus on who God is for us in Jesus Christ.  “The Lord is my helper,” the author of Hebrews writes, and for that reason, we have no need for fear.

As we already said, God desires us to live faithfully with others and to do no harm.  The love of money can lead to hoarding while others go without or to oppressing others so we can store up more and more.  Let’s not forget: Jesus taught frequently on wealth and greed, even more than on sexual matters.

Now the author of Hebrews turns in a new direction:

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:7–8 ESV

The gospel of Jesus Christ is not altered by our circumstances, our culture, or even our response to the good news.  Therefore, we can rest in the unchangeableness of our Lord and Savior.  The gospel of Jesus Christ transforms lives.  There are mature believers who have influenced us and guided us on our spiritual journey.  As we remember those who walk this journey ahead of us or with us, we are encouraged and helped to stay on track.

We measure each person, though, by the yardstick of Jesus Christ, tempered with his grace and truth.  Someone may be a charismatic, influential leader, but it does not automatically mean we should follow them.  The evidence of their lives may show us that they have areas in which they need to grow up in Christ. We may need to find someone else to guide us in those areas in our Christian walk.

Finally, we see a summation of our life in Christ and what we are to be doing as those who are in Christ:

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.  Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.  Hebrews 13:15–16 ESV

When we look at Christ and his response to the Father in the Spirit, we see how we are to live as those who reflect God’s glory and goodness.  We consider the unity, oneness, and love of the Trinity expressed in Jesus’ incarnational life, death, resurrection, and ascension.  From this, we are given clear direction in how we live in faithful obedience, worship, and gratitude.  As we trust in Jesus’ perfections, and in his intercessions on our behalf, and allow his Spirit to reign in our hearts and lives, we experience healing, transformation, and renewal.  The way in which we live changes, and we begin to resemble our Lord more and more.

One of the most important ways our lives can resemble our Lord is “to do good and to share what we have.”  Living a generous life is one way we respond in faithful obedience to the work of his Spirit in our hearts and lives.  Our actions arise out of a heart and mind surrendered to the will and purposes of Jesus Christ and filled with gratitude for all he’s done.

In tune with God’s heart, we live in the truth of who we are as God’s beloved children, designed to reflect  his glory and goodness and love.  Our sacrifices are the overflow of God’s love at work in and through us by his Holy Spirit.  They are welcomed by the Father through Jesus’ intercessions on our behalf.  And this gives us even more reason for gratitude and praise!

As we close, let’s consider the different ways listed in this passage we are to reflect God’s glory and goodness in this world.  What does the Spirit indicate needs attention in your life?  Is there something God wants to change?  How might you begin to participate with what he wants to do in your life?

CLOSING SONG 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray: Father, thank you  for all that you are doing in our lives through Jesus by your Spirit.  We open ourselves up to you and ask you to finish what you have begun in us.   Keep us in tune with your heart and obedient to your will, through Jesus our Lord and by your Spirit.  Amen.  

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• There will be no discipleship class … or Sunday School … today … due to a memorial service for Marion Sutherland.
• We resume our Sunday School next Sunday.

Hebrews 13:1–3

Let brotherly love continue.  ² Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing  some have unwittingly entertained angels.  ³ Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated — since you yourselves are in the body also.  

Hebrews 13:4

⁴ Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. 

Hebrews 13:5-6

⁵ 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.”  ⁶ So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”  

Hebrews 13:7–8

⁷ Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.  ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  

Hebrews 13:15–16

¹⁵ Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, ^[confessing]giving thanks to His name. ¹⁶ But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.  

What can we take away?

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