FOUNDATIONS FOR PEACE

Hebrews 13:5,6
January 26-28, 2013
3rd Weekend after Ephiphany
Pastor Don Sutton

Podcast: Download (Duration: 20:55 — 9.6MB)

Hebrews 13:5-6
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

Introduction
Chapter 13 is the closing chapter of the Letter to the Hebrews and like other closing chapters of some New Testament letters it can be said that “it contains everything but the kitchen sink” when it comes to the sanctified lives of Christians – “Love one another. Welcome strangers. Remember those in prison. Honor marriage. Remember your leaders. Watch out for false teachers. Praise Jesus as your High Priest and through him praise God. Share with one another. Obey your leaders. Pray. Find power in God’s peace.”

Right in the middle of all this is our text that I some up in this way, “DON’T LOVE MONEY, BUT BE CONTENT.” Now if I do an “alliterative partectomy,” as I am often inclined to do, I see the Lord giving us …a prohibition …a prescription …and … a promise.

…a prohibition
A principle we need to be clear on is everything and everyone belongs to God. The Psalmist wrote, “The earth is the Lords and everything in it (Ps 24:1).” The things we have an call our own are loans from the Lord that he gives us to first of all 1) to give – to him to show he is our priority, to our family to care for them, and to others who are in need; secondly,, 2) to save for as God says in Proverbs, “Go to the ant, you sluggard and consider its ways; it has no commander, no overseer or no ruler, yet it stores it possessions in summer and gathers it food at harvest (6:6)”; thirdly, 3) to pay debt – “If you own debt pay debt (Rom 12)”; and finally, 4) to spend for our enjoyment for St. Paul described God as “who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment (1 Tim. 6:17).”

While God gives us material things to manage well and use wisely, he does not want us to love or worship money or material things. “Keep yourselves free from the Lord of money…”

“No problem,” we say. “I am a Christian and I would never love money. That’s idolatry!” But consider to whom God is sending this letter – Jewish CHIRSTIANS. If God gives this prohibition there must be the possibility that a Christian might be tempted to love money and material things. I suspect that when it happens among Christians while it could happen suddenly and dramatically, it most likely happens so subtly that we don’t even realize it.

Let me give you some examples. Age wise I am now somewhat closer to 100 than I am to 1. This means that someday in the not-too-distant future, I may want to retire. So the question comes up, “How are ‘me and the Missus’ going to support ourselves?” There’s Social Security and Medicare …maybe. There’s a modest WELS pension. So we’re faithfully setting aside significant amounts of savings to make up for all the years we were raising kids and sending them to school. But the concern comes up, “Will we have enough?” So I wonder about how our savings are doing. When the stock market goes up, I like the gains I see. When it goes down, I lament the losses I feel. It’s real easy to cross a line from laying aside the dollars to loving them.

A lot of families probably wish they had more money because it seems like incomes do not always meet expenses. The distance from wishing for more dollars to loving them is not great. Many students probably wish they had more money to cover tuition, debts and other costs. Farmers and business people look at their profit-to- debt ratio and may wish the same. In every case there’s a fine line between seeing the need for more money and falling in love with it. Or, we look at others around us and see what we have, so in jealousy we yearn for more and for the money to make it happen, and the love of money can easily sneak in. With those who have it, the danger is that they start to fear losing it and love it, or seeing the power and possessions money can bring, so they love it.

So God says, “Don’t go there!” But we have, haven’t we, more than we realize? When we do, we sin.

Why does God give us such a prohibition? First of all, God is not glorified as the First Commandment reminds us. Jesus put it this way, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot love God and money (Matt 6).” Then there is the fact that those who love money never have enough – “Whoever loves money never has money enough, whoever loves income is never satisfied with his income (Eccl. 5:10).” There is also the trouble that the love of money causes. Paul wrote, “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap, and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into destruction and ruin (1 Tim 6).” This ruin may be loss of health, loss of freedom, loss of family, loss faith and loss of forever with Jesus. The final reason for God’s telling us to not love money and material things is their fleeting nature – they are treasures that moth and rust destroy and that thieves can break in and steal (Matt 6).

So God, out of zeal to be the only God in our lives and love that does not want to see us lost God gives us this prohibition, “Don’t love money!”

…prescription
From the prohibition the Lord takes us to a prescription. In health a prescription is a remedy that the doctor prescribes and a pharmacist provides. God prescribes, “Be content with what you have.” To be content is to be satisfied. It’s having the attitude, “I have enough.” It’s being content to be content.

The Lord emphasizes this same thing elsewhere in the Bible, “Better a little with the fear of God than great wealth with turmoil (Prov. 15:16).” In 1 Timothy 6 Paul wrote, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” In other words, having the godliness and love of God that come to us from Jesus through faith in him, we know that God cares for us so we can be content. So Paul continued, “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” So if we have the basics in life – food, clothes, and a place to live – we have reason to be content. (If you don’t, then please tell us and we will help you.)

However, the problem is that contentment is not part of human DNA. But discontent, greed, envy, jealousy and covetousness are.

So how do we get contentment? Do some soul-searching – “Do I love money? Am I dissatisfied with my standard of living? Do I desire more?” If we can answer “Yes” then we have a problem – a sin problem. Acknowledge it. Confess it to God. Turn from it. Leave it behind. Then turn to the grace, the undeserved love of God.

Just a few verses later in Hebrews 13 God says, “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever… (v. 20, 21).” What God prescribes – contentment – he produces with the power of his peace Jesus. Jesus removed the cruse of our sin with his suffering and death, and provided the holiness we need to be at peace with God. When we focus on this love of God and what it means – God loved me so much he gave his son, gave himself to save me, living, dying and rising again for my forgiveness and eternal life – it gives power to cope with the trials of life and to be content. We know God loves us, has forgiven us, is with us and provides for us in the way and amount that’s best.

St. Paul wrote, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Phil. 4).”

So this love of God leaves me to conclude, “If he so loves me, will he not care for me? Does he not know the level of blessing best for me? Does he not set the standard of living best suited for me?” Such conclusions bring contentment. So God prescribes and provides contentment.

…promises
What he prescribes and provides, he reinforces with his promises in our text.

The first is God’s promise, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” In the English there is the repetition of “never.” However in Greek this verse basically has this pattern – “not …not …nor …not… not.” God is giving extra emphasis to his promise not to leave.

This was a promise made originally to Joshua when he was about to succeed Moses as the human leader of the nation of Israel – 600,000 fighting men plus elderly men, women and children – several million total. God promised to be with and bless Joshua. He promises the same to you – “never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” God also applies this to the Jewish Christians. But it applies to us too.

The second promise is a quote from Psalm 118, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” This was a thanksgiving hymn that the Israelites said and sang to the Lord out of thanks for his delivering them whether from the Egyptians and other enemies, or in view of David’s victories over enemies, or the return from exile and rebuilding of the temple and Jerusalem’s city walls. With God on their side, they could be confident and content. The same is true for us.

Doesn’t this remind you of those words of Palm 121, “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth?”

When needs arise and troubles come, God may be testing us – “Will they turn to me? Will they trust me? Will they pray to me?” But with the power and promises of God behind us, be confident. Don’t love money but be content with what you have. Be content to be content. Amen.

Hebrews 5:7-10
March 24-26, 2012
Fifth weekend in Lent
Pastor Don Sutton

Podcast: Download (Duration: 23:05 — 21.1MB)

March 25 – Sermon from Saint Pauls on Vimeo.

Hebrews 5:7-10 (NIV
7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Introduction
In the Old Testament time, the high priest presided over worship life. He came from the tribe of Levi and the family of Aaron. His duty was to offer sacrifices in behalf of and intercede for God’s people. Today we hear of the priesthood not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchizedek. Who was he? He is a mystery of Scripture. In Genesis 14 he appears briefly as he meets Abraham as Abraham returns home from rescuing his nephew Lot who had been captured in a raid by hostile kings. Melchizedek, whose name means “king of righteousness,” is called the King of Salem (Peace) and the priest of the Most High God. Melchizedek gives Abraham bread and wine. Melchizedek blesses both Abraham and God. Abraham gives him a tenth of all the spoils.

1000 years later the psalmist David in Psalm 110:4, referring to the Messiah, wrote, “The Lord has sworn, “…You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” A thousand years after that the writer to the Hebrews, moved by the Holy Spirit, refers to Melchizedek in several places. In chapter 7 he indicates that Melchizedek has no genealogy and no mention of birth or death. Hebrews 7:3 states, “Like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.” Our text picks up on Melchizedek and states that Jesus is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Why is this so important? To the Jewish Christians addressed in the Letter to the Hebrews, it was a re-enforcement of Jesus’ role as Great High priest. When these Jews came to faith in Jesus as the Christ, they let go of many traditions they had observed as Judaizers. Moses, the Sabbath, the high priest, the temple and the OT sacrifices no longer played such as important role in their lives. In time some of these Jewish Christians began to have doubts. They wondered whether they may be getting short-changed in Christianity and may be left out when it comes to standing before God in eternity. They wondered, “Maybe we should go back.”

The book of Hebrews is a message saying that Jesus is superior to everything these Jews missed including the high priest. Jesus is the high priest who was appointed to be a priest forever. His priesthood goes back before Aaron’s and combines both a king’s power and a priest’s sacrifice. If they thought the human high priest of Judaism could sympathize more with them than could Jesus, because Jesus no longer was visibly present on earth, they should reconsider. If they thought the OT high priest could make them surer of salvation, they should rethink that too.

In Hebrews 5:7-10 the God emphasizes “Jesus Is A High Priest after the Order of Melchizedek…” …1) One who knows supplication, submission, and suffering; and, 2) One who is the source of our salvation.

What difference does this make to us New Testament Christians?

…1) One who knows supplication, submission, and suffering
Consider this. The life of the Christian is a life of great blessings. Through faith in God and especially in Jesus as our Savior, we know the love of God and enjoy his forgiveness. Therefore we have peace. We always have reason to have hope. God loves us. God is with us. He will never fail us. We have eternal life. From God we receive power to quit things, endure things, change things, and do things that by ourselves we are incapable of doing. This is all reason for joy.

But at the same time the Christian life is one of struggle. As a result of sin in the world and sin that has affected us, we experience sadness and suffering. So we have pain, heartache, frustration, and disappointment. There is the struggle that comes with submitting ourselves to God when a part of us is passionate about doing something sinful – loving self or something or someone more than God, doing something self-destructive, being with someone we shouldn’t, looking past others and focusing only on ourselves, keeping things to ourselves that we should give to God. As a result we fail in submitting to God and obeying God. We feel guilt. We feel frustration. Christian life is not easy. It can leave us in tears.

When it comes to our struggles and suffering we may ask for God’s help. Sometimes it seems he doesn’t answer. Or he doesn’t answer right away. Or he doesn’t answer in the way we want. We may think, “Doesn’t God know? Doesn’t God care? Doesn’t God understand?”

He does. God knows by experience about serious praying, submission and suffering. “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8) Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered…”

Jesus knew struggle in prayer. In today’s gospel (Jn 12) we hear of how his heart was troubled and he prayed. In Gethsemane he was distressed, troubled and sorrowful to the point of death. Jesus cried out to his Father that if it be possible the hour of suffering and the cup of suffering, crucifixion, would pass from him. But he submitted to his Father, praying, “Not mine will, but yours be done (Mk. 14).” He knows what it is like to have his Father not answer his prayer in the way he would like. In submission and obedience to his Father he went to the cross as Savior. On the cross he cried out in great agony as his Father laid on him our punishment for our sin. But while his Father, who had the power to spare his life from the cross, did not spare his life that way, he did spare it through the resurrection from the dead because his Son submitted to him and perfectly obeyed him. Jesus knows what it is like to struggle in prayer, suffering and submission.

When we say, “Lord, you don’t understand how much I have struggled, prayed, suffered and sorrowed,” the Lord can rightly say, “No, you don’t understand how much I suffered, sorrowed, submitted and prayed as your Savior.” Jesus can say, “I know what you’re feeling and more.” “I know suffering.” I know submitting can be a struggle.” “I know sorrow, tears and supplication.” “I learned obedience not out of a book, but by submitting to my Father.” “I am your high priest who knows what you’re going through.”

Jesus is the high priest after the order of Melchizedek who also intercedes for us as the high priests after the order of Aaron were to do for God’s people. As Paul wrote to the Romans, “Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is interceding for us (8:34).” He doesn’t do this only for a while like an OT priest who had to retire at 40 yrs.. Like Melchizedek Jesus is a priest forever. But at the same time he intercedes for us, Jesus, like Melchizedek who was the King of Salem, is the King of Peace who rules all things for his people. Jesus is better than the priesthood of the Old Testament. He has experienced our struggles. He intercedes for us. He rules for us. He is a priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Not only is Jesus a priest after the order of Melchizedek who knows serious supplication, submission and suffering, he is the source of salvation to everyone who obeys him.

One Who Is The Source Of Salvation To Everyone Who Obeys Him.
We come into the world with a sinful condition that puts us under the curse of God. As a result we sin. For the Jesus to be the Savior he could have no sinful condition at birth as we do. He could commit no ungodly thought, word or deed. He had to submit to and obey his heaven Father completely. He had to suffer every bit of God’s justice that we deserve for our sins. Jesus did that. Just before his death on the cross Jesus cried out, “It is finished.”

In view of this the writer to the Hebrews wrote, “…And, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10) and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.” As far as his person Jesus was always perfect. In respect to his mission as Savior, when he completed his perfect submission and obedience to his Father with his death on the cross, his mission was perfect and our salvation was sure. So God has declared us innocent, at peace, forgiven. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself through Christ, not counting men’s sins against them (2Co5:19).” This peace, forgiveness and innocence is for all. Jesus brought rescue for all from the eternal suffering of hell.

But not all benefit from this eternal salvation. The writer to the Hebrews says only “all who obey him.” This sounds work righteous. But it is another way of referring to saving faith. The only way we can have saving faith is through the working of the Holy Spirit. But when the Holy Spirit brings us to faith through the gospel, we are obeying that gospel invitation or command, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31).”

What does your future hold for you? Between here and heaven we can be sure that there will be struggles and blessings. Believe in Jesus and in heaven there will only be the blessings of being rescued from sin’s curse and living in the glory of God.

But Christ, the priest after the order of Melchizedek has something in mind for us in the here and now. The apostle John wrote in Revelation 1, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father …” Our Lord serves as our High Priest that we serve God. We do this as we live to his glory. But we also do this as we use our gifts to his praise.

As your lay and called leaders are going through the planning process, we are amazed and thankful for all the people involved in ministry. But we also recognize is that there is much ministry to do and that we need more members involved. In our three-year vision we see the need to add another teacher in school, and at least another pastor or staff person at church. But we also see the need to engage, equip and encourage more members of our church family for ministry. We need people to facilitate small groups. Teach Sunday school, mentor newly married couple, help new members to find a niche in and feel a part of St. Paul’s, help with Ladies Aid activities, visit members and more. While I suspect that many pray for our St. Paul congregation, our prayer chains need renewal and recruitment efforts so that the power of prayer is tapped more fully at St. Paul’s.

This involves you. Jesus did what he did as a priest after the order of Melchizedek so that not only are you saved, but that you might serve as a kingdom of priests interceding in prayer and serving in ministry.
So let’s get to work. Amen. (DRS)