Critical Reminders (Part B)

After this life dies with you and that's it. That's what she had, which is why Jesus engaged her and converted her letter to salvation cannot always know what God is up to. That's why were supposed to live as though he may be up to something, even when we're around people we don't know and they are engaging. Also we engaging them Bible gives us these instructions to follow. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Hebrews. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching now cures Pastor Rick with his study called critical reminders in Hebrews chapter 13, so he responded, Lord, you know, I have great love for you.

I can't say I have the greatest love. I wanted I just can't get it in this way.

In the Greek it be located in the Greek in John's Gospel with this exchanges dialogue takes place is Jesus. Do you agape media have the spiritual love and Peter says no Wi-Fi. Leo, you don't have the big stuff I wanted, but describes all of us. Now we have agape love for Christ sometimes would behave as though we don't special enough treatment of others, so this is a big part of the letter. This is a holding them accountable to behavior led broadly love continue, don't abandon the faith stay in it and continue to love as Christ taught to love Peter when he wrote to the persecuted Christians. He was careful not to center all of his letter on all poor thing. I don't want to make that humerus because I don't want to be under persecution someone making humor about it but I want to point out that this more to our faith than just relief from whatever it is that hounds us so he writes be hospitable to one another without grumbling in the word he uses for hospitable has phyllo in it again.

Be loving to one another in kind without grumbling. Well I better love unless somebody else find out. I don't J. Vernon McGee makes this comment he says we are to love not like brothers, but because we are brothers that is true we are to behave as though we belong to the family of God, not just drink in the blessings of belonging to the family, but letting some of those blessings flow through us to others. Also going to call for commitment. Action step. If you insist on sitting on your hands, you won't be called off the bench.

But if you apply yourself, you watch what God will do. I think there is a lot of brotherly love in this church that won't stop immature Christians or people from objecting because the immature really think love is a self-centered thing in the measure are loved by what you give them, not by what they give others so critical is brotherly love that when it is missing. Everybody knows Jesus said you are. You are the salt of the earth without salt this the flavor. Something's missing without salt its absence is noticed. His presence is then in demand was the same with us with how we behave when love is missing its noticed is a demand for, and think about the loveless things that have been done to you by someone else. Then think about the things that are loveless that you have done to someone else.

Then think about the loving things you have done for others and others have done for you. How love flows from you and then this exhortation led brotherly love is very important verse two if you look with me adverse Sue he's continuing with this everything as us is going to be built on those words do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Don't forget the salt don't forget the spiritual element of your life is saying that the brotherly love continue. Now I'm from I'm I'm born and raised in New York City, strangers are not to be trusted. There and he's not saying you just go on the road and say hey I don't know you want to come over my house will have a good old time but is saying you better be careful when you are around people you don't know, just don't lock up and become cold and calloused, so easy to do. I have to work at it actually someone comes up to me and says excuse me, you have the time when you doing you don't know me was your buddy you got another guy in this kind of caught me in the head of something that he just used suspect of people approaching you, you don't know well in the Scripture. Of course Abraham, when the three men showed up there. Abraham was in the tent. The cool of the day in and in the cool of the shade, and they show up and he is very careful how he treats them turns out two of them are angels.

The other one is an appearance of God himself on earth course there are others.

This lot there's Manolo and his wife, the parents of Samson McKinney and one of the more comical ones Gideon stressing wheat and the winepress because he's afraid. And the angel of the Lord shows up and he's, you know greeted as a man of valor in God is with you and he's questioning everything up where God is with us to. Why am I thrashing wheat in the winepress, hiding out like an old thing going somewhere when I better take further than that. My point is the Scripture is. It gives us examples of those who entertain strangers who are actually sent by the Lord. One of my favorite ones are probably made one of my favorites is the woman at the well.

She did not know was Jesus Christ that initiated conversation with her, asking her for a drink. What is this Jew talking to me, a Samaritan, what is a man without a chaperone doing talking to me. She had religion, she just didn't have salvation. That should get a lot of people that we come in contact with and I live you can have useless religion good for nothing after this life, it dies with you and that's it. That's what she had, which is why Jesus engaged her and converted her letter to salvation cannot always know what God is up to. That's why were supposed to live as though he may be up to something, even when we are around people we don't know and they are engaging us and we engaging them Bible gives us these instructions to follow so we we need to be careful because some have entertained angels unaware they haven't been. They were aware at the time those were angels and it can happen to you. God can send someone a messenger doesn't have to be an angelic being. God can send a person in your life and you can mess it up or not. But how do you not mess it up. Just be loving, be obedient.

Be on guard the will of God to use you. Verse three he says remember the prisoners as if chained with them. Those who are mistreated since you yourselves are in the body. Also the senior Christians is Christians he's talking to almost Christians in our thinking about being Christians, not giving Christianity.

If these are solid Christians saved by the blood of Christ, and now many of them are in trouble.

Thinking about leaving Jesus Christ. Now you don't believe in free will or you think your free will goes away when you're saved and you may struggle with that I don't share that view, nor my afraid of it. I am honored. Learn to be honored by what God brings into your life the good of the bad JoJo put it this way, the Lord gives Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. I don't loving the put an emphasis on that but I want to and we get to the end of this section maybe will find some of another emphasis along those lines, but this is brotherly love.

Now to prisoners. What if it was your brother imprison your real brother. Maybe a brother that you love. There are those that have brothers and they're not very close. But if it's close brother.

Of course you feel it all right is not asking them to feel at ease asking them to obey it selling them look beyond this life.

Put yourself in their place of this is a little history here with them. In Hebrews 10 he says for you had compassion on me and my chains and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods.

Knowing that you have a better and enduring possession for yourselves in heaven just suffered for your faith. You suffered for me when I was a prisoner of Christ you did not keep me at a distance.

I he's a config now is part of the criminal element.

Yet he was for the causes of Christ. They did not turn away from from him and he he calls the Mounties remember, remember to victory on their side was an honor for them to show honor one of God's prisoners in Hebrews 11 is this still others had trial of markings and scourge ingestion of chains and imprisonment.

Second Timothy this is about a man named Vanessa forests Lord grant mercy to the household of Vanessa forests, for he often refreshed me catch that part do you refresh anyone or do you just drain out all manner they go they often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain. But when he arrived in Rome and here it comes.

This is a beautiful part of just very few. He sought me out very zealously and found me. That's what Paul wrote I was a needle in a haystack. I was in the system of Rome prison system and Vanessa forests. He sought me out and he found me didn't stop till he found me and he refreshed me. This is brotherly love. This is remembering the prisoners as if chained with them traveled a long distance to get to Paul. Imagine what happened in the heart of Vanessa forests when word got to him.

Paul is in jail and he's having a tough time thought on it likely prayed on it get judging by his character. Of course that's what he did packed his bags and headed out the door to do something about it because to the believer. God is real and always present in the interests of God always are paramount. Thus, we fight, we struggle it is irrational to believe that God cannot be known by all men just outside of reason is why God says a fool says in his heart there is no God is outside of reason in it that put you in the full category you're a fool does foolish things go home for a hammer. See what happens to you there not balanced for that. I know I was once a youth and I tried stupid things like that but I did not graduate and try would like a running chainsaw something but anyway it is irrational to think that he can be known.

Apart from his revelation and revealing himself now relocked. It's the word in the days of Abraham.

It would be direct contact.

There was a scripture in the days of Abraham. He was making the Scripture is revelation and it is also slanderous to think that God is indifferent that he doesn't care about prisoners or you or anyone else less and less you have an inferior view of God which the world has, by definition, the world's view of God is an inferior view, one that we totally reject borrowing from AW toes or if it were a medicine, it wouldn't cure anyone if it were poison. It wouldn't harm anyone.

So he must be real to you or you have useless religion cannot save your soul from the wrath of God to come upon sinners, you're right with Christ and he is real to you.

Everything else changes so the temptation to abandon Christ, which they they had to escape persecution was very real around them in the life that they live.

It could become real to us. Persecution is increasingly becoming not just a doctrinal issue historical conversation. It is getting closer and closer to us, where it will go. I don't know but I know that our orders don't change that we are to stand in the faith, be steadfast and unchanging verse for now. He says marriage is honorable among all the bed undefiled with fornicators and adulterers God will judge. While the brotherly love is you think it's supposed to stop in your marriage. I'm to show love to other people, but not brotherly love to my spouse. Brotherly love, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ Jesus has forgiven you see that view in the Bible single you out isolate you from everybody else, be tenderhearted unless of course you trying to mess your marriage up. Do we believe it. Believers are not supposed to badmouth marriage as though it's you know was saddled with it. I couldn't break free from it wisely can go try to break free from something else later on to it is a lie from Satan. Although if I had only married so-and-so, if I had only an once you come in. Marriage is listen to read it again with me not out loud, but I'll read if you don't mind. Marriage is honorable among all its honorable don't treat it like it's junk like it's a mistake. Maybe you need to step up your game of big is not a game.

Step up your faith maybe need to work harder and I tell you something else you have had a med good marriage for 1015 years well is 1670 is McGill difficult. You're not excused the bed as undefiled bonds of marriage is the only place undefiled sexual relationships only in the marriage is ordained by God. Sexual activity is pure in the marriage sexual activity outside is impure. Is anybody surprised by that I didn't comment if that's you, please see me after service we have to talk world hates this. They hate this. They think marriage is this something you do and divorce is something you do every you know how their proposals go. For instance out and Holly, we are to come up to someone and they say we be my future ex-spouse. Let's let's live together in holy matrimony for three or four years and that doing it with someone else course is wrong and it is difficult seeing the attitude and so many Christians out what their attitude is towards marriage not I want to be very sensitive hearings and gentle young Marine Corps took that from me. I thought I was gentle before I went in. I might be wrong but it just seems that after I got out I was like who you get away from me and just how come you're talking. Not sure if you like a slot get a shape get a haircut final sneakers just you know, everything changed. And sometimes they get into the pulpit and and I have to remember not everybody is on that page with me undressing is better anyway. I want to be gentle with this because as necessary. I'm missing all the sins not that bad I missing that I know this. I know that in the body of Christ are those who stumble. I know that Christ loves them and restores them. Paul the apostle when writing to the Corinthian church, he called them out on all source of immorality. He said that and I'm going to read a little bit from first Corinthians 6 he says, do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites of the effeminate ones men behaving like women that was happening. Then he continues, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revile is, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And now here comes this is for every one of us, especially if you have ever stumbled with fornication or adultery and you are a Christian, this is for you and such were some of you but you were washed, you were sanctified, which you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus by the spirit of our God. Satan will come along and say yeah but you know that was before you were a Christian. Once you became a Christian, you stumbled in on in those areas that was it.

He's lying you're still wash. We have an advocate with the father is no higher where sin abounded, grace did much more. You have no right to limit that except outside of Christ, for those in Christ is now no condemnation in Christ Jesus. But for those outside of Christ is no salvation so they were invited to come in.

So as we go through this and I don't want to unnecessarily cause pain to anyone. As Jabez said that I might not cause pain. However, if you are in the present state of guilt, impenitent want to convict you away from these things. Don't be surprised when when Satan pulls off a tactic in and hurts one of us be surprised if there is no love in your heart after it.

Apparently fornication, which is six all illicit sex, all sex outside of marriage and in now days we have to say all of marriage is between a man and a woman and nobody else. And one man and one woman at a time, one may pass on and then of course you can remarry and there's other allowances also fornication is illicit and it must've been happening in the church. The ancient church in the days of the apostle wrote they would not have addressed it time and time again that should give us in a weird way perhaps odd way it should give us strength. Eliza was a man would like passions.

Nothing new under the sun with the all Saints fought you going to fight. So again gently but firmly. If you live outside of marriage. You're not honoring marriage.

You cannot experiment with marriage you cannot hook up together shack up together, live together outside of marriage in Christ.

It's not honoring it, and it is.

I know some of you may know many Christians are not questioning their salvation. At this point. Many times they think they do love the Lord, but they been allowed churches and look the other way because they want to fill the pews churches want to preach the word.

Some of them and not uphold the word because they lose people that way and that's in this church there been those that have been living in out of marriage together, even sometimes still married to others and we would say liquid going to disfellowshipped you. You gotta get this fixed will willing to work with you but were not willing to look the other way are tolerated because marriage is honorable and you can go tell the world marriage is between a man and a woman.

It is honorable and then at the same time you living an object of blatant sin and it happens a lot. Not a little bit.

If you've been guilty of this.

Not again trying to hurt you. Now some some Christians have been guilty of this and they fixed it, demonstrating the presence of the Lord in their lives that they are subject to the word of God because the word of God is the voice of God and the commandments are taken lightly by them and it is a delight to man the wall with such believers, but again too often there out. And then there are those advocates to come to their rescue, but they love the Lord, pastor, how could you do that very easily. If you watch your step. Your next what is positive though they think apparent in the disciplines a child of one of those I object is next found the dad is next so we understand that. See, that's the harshness coming out is and it has to smile when I say to you of joking a serious life anyway. First Corinthians 511 but now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother who is sexually immoral or covetous or in idolatry or in a revile or or a drunkard or an extortion or not even to eat such a person.

So if it is not just a sexual immorality or a downgrading marriage but idolatry.

You know you have a Christian I believe in Jesus, but also like Hindu religion a lot to him that he got the drunkard in the context of content being a drunk. There are those that struggle with substance and we want to help them not just Jason out… And you know what I'm gonna liking sin and I'm not going to fight it them, then that's a different matter. Move you've been listening to cross reference radio the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick asked Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia to be mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast. Today's teaching is available free of charge at our website. Simply log on to cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com would also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from Pastor Rick, you can subscribe cross reference radio.com or simply search for cross reference radio your favorite podcast to the next time as Pastor Rick continues teaching through the book of Hebrews right here on cross reference radio