Sermons

The Letter to the Hebrews

Earnestly Love God and Serve Others

Hebrews 6:9-12

Jesus gave us a new commandment – that we love each other as he has loved us.  Think of how Jesus Christ loved us – fully God, being born as a baby, and of course, the Cross.  And He calls us to love each other as He has loved us. 

But that’s not easy --

• Maybe your wife has had a hard day and wants to talk – but you’d rather watch the Warriors.
• Maybe it’s home group night, but you don’t feel like going. 
• Maybe late tonight someone texts that they’ve got a flat tire – and you want to pretend you didn’t get the text.

So what can we do when we struggle to love each other?  What can we do?

The author of Hebrews tells us in the next section of his letter.  So let’s turn together to Hebrews 6.  If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we will bring one to you.  Hebrews 6 is on page 1003 in the Bibles we are passing out.

This morning we are going to study vv.9-12 of ch.6.  But to understand these verses we need to remember what he said in vv.1-8. 

In vv.1-8 he gives them a sobering warning.  Many of them had been drifting from the faith.  They had stopped clinging to God’s Word.  And so he warns that it’s possible for someone to fall away so far that they will never again repent.  It’s possible for someone to so dishonor the Cross by their sin that God will never enable them to repent.  Which would mean they were never saved to begin with – and that they will face God’s judgment forever.

So the author gives his readers a sobering warning of how they are treading on dangerous ground. 

But then in v.9 his tone changes.  He says something surprising --  

9             Though we speak in this way [warning what could happen to those who continue to fall away], yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things -- things that belong to salvation.

So he is sure of better things about them.  What are the better things the author is sure of about them?

Remember, he just described people who fall away so far that God no longer enables them to repent.  Then he says “I am convinced of better things about you.”  Which means he is convinced God will enable them to repent.

Remember – because of our sin we can only repent if God enables us.  We do not have the power in ourselves to repent – we need God’s help.  So if you blew up at a driver this week, and then saw your sin and genuinely repented, it’s because God brought His power upon you and enabled you to repent.

But the author has warned that if someone keeps willfully pursuing sin, then even though God is perfectly loving and slow to anger – yet they can reach a point where God no longer enables them to repent.  Which means they would face God’s judgment forever.

But in v.9 the author says he is convinced of better things concerning them – things that belong to salvation.  Which means he is convinced that God will enable them to repent.

But how can the author be so sure?  How can he know God will enable his readers to repent?  Notice the word “for” at the beginning of v.10.  That shows v.10 gives the reason for what came before.  So the reason the author is sure God will enable them to repent is

For [or: because] God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.

Here’s what is he saying.  In the past they lived in a way that showed God had saved them.   They had been diligent in serving the saints.  We saw in chapter 10 how they took food to fellow-believers who were imprisoned for their faith, even though this meant they could be identified as believers end up losing their jobs, their possessions, their lives.

So this is not just ordinary compassion.  This is something on an entirely different scale.  And the author says it was powered by love for God’s name.  They loved God’s name – and that love for God’s name moved them to serve the saints. 

How does that work?  Let’s say Jason was arrested for being a Christian and was being held in the county jail, with no food unless someone brings it to him.  So how would love for God’s name move David to risk his job and car and life to take food to Jason tonight tonight?

Here’s how it works.  David’s greatest joy is God’s name – God’s glory.  So his heart is full of joy in beholding God – so full that it has to overflow in serving others.  And – he knows that God calls him to serve Jason, and he knows that obeying God will only bring him more joy in God now and forever – no matter what else it costs him.

So the overflow of joy in God now, and the promise of even more, moves David to serve Jason.  And this act shows love for Gods name.

 But no one loves God’s name like that without being saved.  Our sinful natures don’t love God like that.  But when God saves us through Jesus, He changes our hearts, and we do love God like that. 

So the fact that David served Jason in a way that shows love for God’s name – shows that David has been saved.  And that’s what the author is saying.  The way they served other believers in the early years shows that God has saved them. 

And because their love for his name shows that God has saved them, God would be unjust if he overlooked their love for his name.  See, God has promised that when he saves someone he will keep them repenting all the way to the end.  That’s in Heb 13:21 – that if we have been saved God promises to keep working in us what is pleasing in His sight.  And Philippians 1:6 – that the good work God starts in us He will continue until the day of Christ Jesus.  And Jeremiah 32:40 – God has put the fear of you in his heart so you will not turn from him.

So if you have been genuinely saved, then God promises that He will keep you repenting and trusting Christ all the way to the end.  And so – since these believers have by their love shown that they have been saved by God, God would be unjust if he overlooked his saving work in them and stopped enabling them to repent.

That’s why the author is so sure that God will enable them to repent.  Everyone whom God saves, God will keep repenting all the way to the end.  And their serving of God’s people which showed love for God’s name shows that they have been saved.  So it’s certain that God will keep them repenting all the way to the end.

So think of the relief they would have felt at this point.  Think of hearing – people can fall away so far that they never again repent.  But I am convinced of better things about you.  It’s clear from how you lived in your early years that you were genuinely saved.  And God promises that everyone he has genuinely saved, he will keep enabling to repent.  Which means God would be unjust not to keep you repenting.  So I am confident that God will keep you repenting.  Can you feel the relief?

Remember how you felt when you needed to pass a class, and finally the grades came out, and you checked … checked … checked … there.  You passed!  Total relief.

But the author doesn’t stop there.  He’s glad they feel relieved.  But it’s urgent that they do something.  You could think he would say – God is going to keep you repenting, so you are all set.  But that’s not what he says.  He calls them to do something.

What does he call them to do?  Look at v.11 --

11            And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end …

He wants them to show the same earnestness.  The same earnestness as what?  The same earnest love for God’s name they had years ago -- which expressed itself years ago in serving God’s people.

So v.11 shows that they have lost their earnestness.  And the beginning of v.12 shows that they have become sluggish –

12            so that you may not be sluggish…

What does it mean to be sluggish and not earnest?  The picture I thought of was when you are out surfing, and the wave of the day comes and there’s no one around but you and you want that wave and so you paddle earnestly to catch it. 

But if there’s no wave of the day – if there’s a lull and it’s sunny and the pelicans are flying by and the seals are cruising and you are enjoying it all – your paddling will be more on the sluggish side.

So when it comes to love for God’s name – they are more sluggish than earnest.  And so their serving of their brothers and sisters is more sluggish than earnest.

So -- is that happening to any of us?  When it comes to love for God’s name – are we more sluggish than earnest? 

• Has worship become more a matter of enjoying music than meeting God?
• Are you more excited about watching the Super Bowl than about time with God?
• Has prayer just become going through the motions?
• Would you rather sleep in than read God’s word?

If so – then our love for God’s name has become more sluggish than earnest.

And what about serving our brothers and sisters.  When it comes to that -- are we more sluggish than earnest?

• Are we no longer interested in what our spouse is thinking and feeling?
• When someone needs a meal -- do we pull back?
• Has prayer for brothers and sisters become a chore?
• Do we refuse to help with set-up or take-down?

So when it comes to love for God’s name – and serving our brothers and sisters – are we more sluggish than earnest?  If so, the author would say – have the same earnestness you used to have!  Don’t be sluggish!

Because as you do, you will gain the full assurance of hope until the end.  When you are earnest in loving God’s name and serving his people – the Holy Spirit will so pour His love into your heart that you will know you are His – and you will be even more full of love for God’s name – and even more motivated to serve.

So be earnest and not sluggish in loving God’s name!  And as a result – be earnest and not sluggish in serving your brothers and sisters.

But the question is – how?  How can we become earnest and overcome sluggishness?  And he tells us in v.12 – start reading in v.11 –

11            And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end,

12            so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

We become earnest and overcome sluggishness by imitating those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Now think about this.  There are those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.  He’s probably thinking of those he will mention in ch.11.  So these men and women inherited the promises through faith and patience.  So if you were going to imitate them, what would you do?  You’d have faith and patience. 

Start with faith.  If I am more sluggish than earnest, what would it mean to have faith? 

• I would turn to Jesus Christ just as I am – and trust him to forgive me and change me.
• I would confess to him my sin of sluggishness and ask him to forgive me through his death on the Cross.
• I would ask him to pour out the work of the Holy Spirit on me – helping me see and feel the glory of God’s name so powerfully that I earnestly serve my brothers and sisters.
• Then I would set my heart on verses which display the glory of God’s name – his power in delivering Israel from Egypt, his wisdom in having Joseph be sold into slavery, his love displayed on the Cross, his power in raising Jesus from the dead. 
• And I would pray over these Scriptures – trusting Jesus to change my heart, show me his glory, fill me with love for my brothers and sisters.

That’s faith.  And when we have faith like that, Jesus will pour out His Spirit and change our hearts.

But the author also mentions patience.  Patience means steadfastness.  It means not giving up.  So faith and patience means – steadfastly trusting Jesus Christ. 

• Turning to him when I feel like giving up. 
• Turning to him when I’m discouraged. 
• Turning to him when I feel far from God. 
• Turning to him when I am tempted.

If we will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises – by turning to Jesus Christ again and again, wonderful things will happen.  Jesus will stir up our love for God’s name – and as a result he will stir up our passion to serve our brothers and sisters.

Like Georgi Vins, who was a pastor in Russia in 1965.  Believers were peacefully protesting persecution the government had brought against them, and the protesters were arrested and thrown in jail.

And the next day Georgi Vins walked into the headquarters of the Communist government to find out what was happening to the protesters.  As a result, he was arrested, and ended being put into a labor camp for three years.

What kind of love motivated this?  Here’s what he said at his trial –

I consider myself fortunate to be able to stand here and testify that I’m charged as a believer ..  I do not see you as my enemies …  When I leave the courtroom I shall pray to God for you there in my cell, asking that he should reveal his divine truth to you and the great meaning of life.  By Their Blood, 251f.