CHRIST FOR PRISONERS WEEKLY BULLETIN
Sunday, August 26, 2007

Christian Duties
Hebrews 13

HEBREWS 13:1-3
The spirit of Christian love

¹ Let brotherly love continue. ² Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. ³ Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

Discipleship, Neighbor Love - Christian love has no limits. It reaches out to everyone in need … strangers, brothers, prisoners, sufferers. Christians should keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. Romans 12:10; 13:8.

Romans 12:10 (NKJV)
¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

Romans 13:8 (NKJV)
⁸ Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

HEBREWS 13:2
² Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares

Revelation, Angels - Genesis 18:1-19:29.

There is an account in Genesis 18:1 – 19:29 Abraham had an encounter with 3 angels. Look at the different reactions. Abraham bowed himself to the ground and prayed. His wife Sarah laughed at the message. If you think about it, how many people today laugh at God’s messengers and in reality they are laughing in the face of God.

Abraham was blessed and exalted, Sarah was rebuked because she laughed in unbelief. [Be honest, you older ladies, if your husband came home and said God said you are going to have a baby how would you handle that.]

I pray that God will forgive His people. We need revival in the church.

HEBREWS 13:3
³ Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

Prayer, Sincerity - An important principle of prayer is to make the cause you are praying for your own. Christ identified with the disciples He prayed for. John 17:1-26

In John 17:1-26 there is an account of Jesus praying to the Father. In that prayer He prayed for the church, that God would keep them in holiness and purity. He prayed the church would be in unity. It is a wonderful prayer, you should read it.

HEBREWS 13:4
Hebrews 13:4 (NKJV)
⁴ Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

Family, Sexual Fulfillment - Marriage vows must not be taken lightly. Marriage means fidelity and commitment to one’s spouse. Sexual activity outside marriage is sin which faces God’s judgment. Only as partners honor marriage can sexual union bring its intended fulfillment. Pr 5:15-23, 1 Co 7:2-7,

Proverbs 5:15-23 (KJV)
¹⁵ Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
¹⁶ Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
¹⁷ Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
¹⁸ Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
¹⁹ Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
²⁰ And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
²¹ For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
²² His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
²³ He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

1 Corinthians 7:2-7 (NKJV)
² Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
³ Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
⁴ The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
⁵ Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
⁶ But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment.
⁷ For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

HEBREWS 13:5
Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)
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."

Hebrews 13:6 (NKJV)
⁶ So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

HEBREWS 13:7, 17
Hebrews 13:7 (NKJV)
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.

Hebrews 13:17 (NKJV)
¹⁷ Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Discipleship, Spiritual Leaders - All disciples are responsible to God for all they do. Those called to be spiritual leaders such as pastors and teachers (Eph 4:11) are responsible in a special way for the spiritual welfare of all whom they serve.

They are God’s special messengers, and their lives become models to be imitated by those who follow their leadership.

All disciples are responsible for the way they submit to their spiritual leaders. Spiritual leaders should be supported with love and respect so their ministries will be both joyful and successful. That will be beneficial to all.

Spiritual leaders exercise authority in love in the church. Such leaders are not dictators, but they do deserve respectful obedience as they seek to keep order and purpose in the church.

Such leaders should stay on the alert to prevent harm to God’s people.

They should exercise authority carefully, knowing they are responsible to God.

Proper spiritual leadership is a real advantage for God’s people. Both improper leadership and improper fellowship are burdensome for the leader and the church.

No leader has the authority to rob any member of the right and responsibility to exercise individual priesthood before God. Otherwise each of us have a personal relationship with God. 1 Timothy 2:5.

Church Leaders, Authority - Leaders of the church are to be faithful in instructing their charges in the Word of God and to lead by example.

The testimony of their lives for good or ill will continue to instruct the church even after they have died.

HEBREWS 13:8
Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV)
⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Jesus Christ, Savior - We have no excuse to return to inferior ethics or religion. Our Savior is eternal and consistent. We can always count on Him for salvation and need turn to no other savior or religion.