Jump Start # 315 

Hebrews 13:7 “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”

  Our passage today is found in the last chapter of Hebrews. The writer is concluding. He gives a series of bullet points that are easy to identify but harder to do.

• Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers (2)
• Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings (9)
• Do not neglect doing good (16)
• Remember the prisoners (3)
• Remember those who led you (7)

  Our verse is one of these bullet points. It involves reflection. Remember those…now this was not a memorial service, nor were they planting a tree in the honor of a loved one. Rather, by remembering, they were adjusting their life and living holy.

  The people they remembered had done three things. First, they had led them. They may have been some early elders in the church. Their job was to oversee the saints and help them grow, while protecting them. Others lead. Preachers have a way of leading. Parents lead.

  Second, the ones remembered had taught them the word of God. These may have been the ones that led them to Christ. They may have been responsible for their conversions. Teaching requires effort, time and patience. To teach is to help. To teach is to change.

  Thirdly, the outcome of their conduct was to be considered. This implies that they had passed away. Someone still on the journey, has not reached their destination. They have not made it to the outcome. Why they influence and lead and teach, their own story is still being written. Those who have passed on, we see their outcome. We see the choices they made. We see where they stood with the Lord and what the Lord meant to them. The expression, “considering their outcome” indicates a life and a journey that reached it’s destination. They made it. They are safe. As Paul would write about his own life, the faith was kept, the fight was fought and the course was finished.

  These Hebrew Christians were not to forget the early leaders who had by this time died. They were to remember them. They had taught, led and left examples for these Hebrews. And now, these people are in the roles that these departed Christians once held. It is up to them to lead, to teach and to complete the journey in such a way that others can imitate, follow and remember what they had done. The baton had been passed to them.

  These thoughts lead us to two simple truths.

  First, do you remember? Do you remember those Christians who taught you, encouraged you and spent time answering your questions? By now, some of them may have departed. They have finished. Do you remember their kindness? Maybe they came to your home in the evening to teach the gospel. It may not have been to you, but to your parents. But you remember. How about the first preachers that you can remember? They worked hard at preaching God’s word. Dedicated. True. Honest to the cause. If you have had good examples in your life, you remember that they were good Christians. They loved the Lord. They held the church together. They always seemed to teach Bible classes. They always showed up at Gospel Meetings. They sacrificed and gave and put their whole hearts into the kingdom. You remember. When you were a child some of these men seemed to be 200 years old to you. But you remember them always carrying a Bible, often worn out just like they were. They weren’t fancy. They weren’t cutting edge. But they were God’s people. Good people. Godly people. They had it right. They did things right. Remembering, makes us realize that sometimes we’ve gotten away from that. Maybe we have too much of the world in us or more so, maybe we have too much of us still in us. Do you remember?

  Second, we are to imitate their faith. They had something right. They loved the Lord. They put the Lord first. That faith led them to lead. That faith moved them to teach. That faith kept them going to complete their journey. It’s more than just remain a Christian, who now is going to lead? Who now is going to teach? They are gone. But we say, I can’t. They did. But, we’re really busy. So were they. Teachings not my thing. They made it their thing.

  Have you ever gotten a chain letter? Folks don’t do that anymore, I think it may be illegal. But you get this letter, add your name to the bottom and send it away to seven friends. If you didn’t do it, you broke the chain and bad things would come your way. Silly concept but in some ways this is what is going on here in Hebrews. The leaders, teachers and early examples had passed away. Now it fell to these Hebrew Christians. Would they lead? Would they teach? Would they imitate the faith of the early Christians?

  This is where we are as well. We remember. Now will we do? Will it stop with us. Will we ‘break the chain?’ Some day another generation will look upon us. Will they want to imitate what they see? Will they think about us as we think about the generation of Christians before us?

  Three great words here: remember…consider…imitate. It does us well to do that.

Roger

Jump Start # 314 

Hebrews 9:27 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment”

  A friend of mine passed away today. She was an older lady and a wonderful, wonderful  Christian. She and her husband have been delightful encouragers to me for a long time. Her death came as a shock.

  Death is ugly. Modern times have tried to make death seem fascinating and cool. In video games, the bad guys are blown to pieces. In movies, death is more common than kissing. Many TV shows are based upon investigators figuring out why someone died. Actors, pretending to be cops, discuss things over a dead body on a morgue stretcher. Doesn’t seem so bad—but it’s all pretend.

  This all changes, when someone you’ve known and loved passes away. All of a sudden death is not so fascinating any more. Death isn’t so cool. Death is a thief that robs and death is so final. A person doesn’t die on the weekend and then they are back to work on Monday. That doesn’t happen.

  Our passage today reveals two principles about death. They both start with the letter “A.” First, there is an appointed time. God sets that time, not us. We don’t know when it will be. Some die very young. Some die very old. We can explore many reasons why things are like that, such as lifestyle, genetics, habits and so forth, but I think the bottom line is they had a appointment with God. This is one appointment you will not forget to keep. This is one appointment that you cannot escape. I recently heard of a man who died while vacationing in Hawaii. He was 93 years old. He was a Christian. He left one paradise for the eternal paradise. You have an appointment coming. It doesn’t wait for you. It doesn’t allow you to get ready. When it comes, it comes.  That is what our passage is telling us.

  The second thought here, is that there comes something after death. The passage says, “after this comes the judgment.” After this…Death is not the end of the journey. Death does end it. There is an “after this” that follows death. The after this is what ought to concern us. Some focus on living and dying and not what happens afterwards. There is an old joke about the funeral of an atheist. A friend commented that he was all dressed up but had no where to go. Actually, he did. There is something after death.

  Death is not a place that we go to, it is a process. Death is a doorway that takes us from one place to another place, or more accurately, from one room to another room, all in God’s house. Birth is a doorway that brings us into this room. And death is a doorway that takes us into the next room.

  Because there is an “after this” that follows death, suicide is never a good option. Suicide doesn’t end the misery, the pain as some believe. It throws all the burdens upon someone else and the person fails to realize that with death comes the “after this.”

  After this, we will be judged. After this everything changes. After this we stand before God. After this we will be sent to Heaven or cast into Hell forever. That takes place after this, but it is all based upon what we do in this life. Some have the notion that God owes us Heaven. They think that if you have had a miserable life here, then you deserve Heaven. No. No one deserves Heaven. Others got the notion that if you have sacrificed your life and gave your life to save others, such as a fire fighter or someone in the military then that guarantees you a spot in Heaven. No, it doesn’t. Heaven is for those who have walked with Jesus in this life. They have made the Lord their Lord and have obeyed Him, worshipped Him as He wants to be worshipped and put Christ first in their life. Heaven is for those who have chosen Heaven in this life. Those that are just too busy right now, those who have other obligations, those who have put God on the back burner, need to realize that there is an appointment coming and there is something after that. Now is the time. Now is your opportunity. Death knocks and then everything changes. God doesn’t owe us anything, especially Heaven. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.

  I will miss my friend who passed away. She always came to a ladies Bible class that I taught. She wore a smile with every outfit. She was generous, kind, godly and thoughtful. Her life included difficulties and tragedies as most of our lives do. But a long time ago she accepted Christ and was baptized. She began a journey with Him and never looked back. She taught, she influenced, and she illustrated with her life the hope that is in Jesus Christ. Her death won’t stop the press. There will be no TV trucks parked at her service. She lived a simple, godly life and touched many people for good. She has left her mark and now her journey is finished. What awaits her is the “after this” part. She believed in a coming resurrection, Heaven and forgiveness from God. She had talked to me about Heaven when I preached her son’s funeral a few years ago. She was a good one and I wish the world had more of her kind.

  I am thankful that there is an “after this” that follows death. How sad death would be if that was the end of the road. It’s not. The faithful have the hope of being with each other and seeing each other again. We long for that time when we gather around God’s throne, singing praises to God, joined with the angels in sweet, sweet worship of our Lord.

  Thank you, Lord, for allowing our lives to intersect. That you, JoAnn, you were and remain a dear soul! 

  Now, for the rest of us, there is that “after this.” Each day builds upon that “after this.” Don’t get so caught up in bills, and shopping, and ballgames and stuff that we forget the “after this.”   The death of God’s children reminds us of what is important.

Roger