THE CHURCH THAT IS BLESSED OF GOD
Hebrews 13:1-9
Heb 13:1 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.
4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. (KJV)
INTRODUCTION: Could we put on our marquee this quotation: “BHBC, The Church That Is Blessed Of God.” If we did display that would it be the truth? Many would assume that any group calling themselves a church would qualify for the blessing of God – not true. Just because a building has a steeple on the roof, an organ on the platform, and a marquee in the front yard does not qualify it as a church building. Actually many organizations that are identified as churches are really dens for the devil.
To be blessed of God a church must have and meet certain qualifications. We will automatically assume that the church has been originated properly; that is, the proper organization was completed. A church must have been started from another Scriptural Baptist church. When a group of people go to a certain location and hold religious services and then call themselves a N.T. Church does not make the claim true. There must be a proper beginning.
Then, there must be a Mother Church. A church is born. To be born there must be a mother. Every Scriptural N.T. Baptist Church must have had a Mother Church that was also Scriptural else there has been no birth.
There are other important issues concerning the proper organization of a N.T. Baptist Church, but these two are foremost and premier.
So now let’s look at the church that is blessed of God.
I. A LOVING CHURCH VS. 1.
Heb 13:1 Let brotherly love continue. (KJV) The Greek word for Brotherly Love is – “Philadelphia”.
“Love to Christians on account of their likeness to Christ is a fruit of the Spirit, and an evidence of being born of God. It is also a means of promoting our love to Christ and the enjoyment of his presence. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” (Family Bible Notes)
Joh 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. (KJV)
Our theme for 2003 was: “You’ve Never Been So Loved.” Just because we had that theme did not bring the blessings of God upon our church. We had to enact that theme. I wonder what kind of grade we made with God in the matter of loving others and continuing in His love? God wants a church to love people. Without that love for people, both lost and saved, we will never qualify for God’s blessing.
A. “Let” – Brotherly Love Continue.
The word “Let” tells us that this will take effort on our part. We will have to work at it in some situations. Why? Because some people are harder to love than others. If “Brotherly Love” continues then we will have to “Let” it continue, or make it continue.
William Burkitt says, “That brotherly love is very apt to impair and decay, if we endeavor not continually its preservation and revival.”
B. It Would Also Mean To “Keep” It Continuing.
“Keep” in this usage, would mean “To guard it”. To keep a certain thing or event in continuity will require a “guarding” of that principle. A woman that keeps her house “spic and span” puts forth a lot of energy in keeping it that way.
Brotherly love will require constant maintenance. We can never put it on cruise control and forget it.
What this verse of Scripture is saying that it is our responsibility to see that “brotherly love” continues in this church.
C. It Will Not Continue If We Practice It Inside The Church Only.
We will have to take it outside the doors of this building.
II. A MINISTERING CHURCH VS. 2.
Heb 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (KJV)
In those early times, when there were scarcely any public inns or houses of entertainment, it was an office of charity and mercy to receive, to lodge, and entertain travelers; and this is what the apostle particularly recommends.
Here we are introduced to the subject of servitude again. It seems like everywhere I read or think leads me to this subject.
A. Serving – “Attitude Of Servitude”.
Mr 10:44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. (KJV)
We do not know who we will be facing face to face from day to day. That person that stops you on the street and asks for a hand out may be an angel unaware. Mt 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. (KJV)
How many possibilities of entertaining angels do we have here at BHBC. Our widow ladies. (Now, ladies don’t get all excited – I am not saying that each of you are angels.) When the entertaining of an angel takes place – the person by which the angel appeared probably won’t even know it. That is what Matt. 25:43 would tend to say.
I don’t know what the ratio of entertaining it would require to run into an angel? But sometime and somewhere God may well put that person in our pathway to be served and then turn out to be an angelic being. I sure hope that I am in the “Attitude of Servitude” when that happens to me. It would be really bad to be having a bad day and refuse the opportunity to serve and learn later that we had missed our appointment with an angel.
III. A PURE CHURCH VS. 4.
Heb 13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. (KJV)
This verse is speaking of the private life of the members of the church. The honorableness of marriage is not the question, rather adultery and whoremongers of the members.
A. Clean Members.
There is a new standard of church membership now that allows for any and all kinds of activity among the members. In some circles nothing is outlawed. There are those who say “grace” permits the person to do anything. That simply isn’t true. We are expected to take on the image of Christ and that will bring about a life style that will be like heaven. No heavenly life style – no salvation.
B. Holy Members.
We are not given the option of being holy or not holy.
Le 20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God. (KJV)
1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (KJV) This is not a command that is to be completed by a conviction. It matters not whether you have a conviction about being holy or not. The command is to be holy. How do we be holy? Abstain from being unholy. We do that by being Christ-like.
C. Disciplined Members. This is speaking of self-discipline. Listen to this verse.
1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. (KJV)
If we discipline ourselves then God does not have to do it, but if we try to get by with sin in our life God will judge us according to law.
God wants a church with Pure Members. He is going to bless only the churches that have pure members.
Look at it like this: On unholy member can ruin the whole church. If you bought a bushel of apples and one apple is rotten then you got cheated. The same would be true in relation to a pure and impure church member.
IV. A GENEROUS CHURCH VS. 5.
Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (KJV)
I don’t think I am taking this thought out of context. By and large I believe that BHBC is a generous church. For the most part and most of the time we can meet this qualification. We have many members who are generous in their giving. They don’t give grudgingly, nor of necessity, but from the heart, and God loves that kind of giving.
We have two different ways of giving:
A. The General Budget. (The Tithe)
1. The financial operation of the church.
2. The utilities.
3. Maintenance of the property.
4. Salaries for the staff.
B. Offerings. Missions – Revivals – Special Events.
We probably are a little short in our missions giving. I have compared missions giving among several churches and we are a little behind most churches our size and status. April is our missions month and maybe we should each be praying more about what God would have us give weekly in the Faith Promise Offerings.
I could go in several different directions with the thought of generous. Not just giving, but our time for others. Extending our love to others, etc.
V. A CHURCH THAT RESPECTS AUTHORITY VS. 7.
Heb 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. (KJV)
A. Authority of the Bible.
All of us understand what is meant by the authority of the Bible.
B. Authority of the Church.
Would there be anyone that would question the authority of the church? The church does have authority over each of its members.
C. Authority of the Pastor.
D. Authority of the Home.
None of these will conflict with each other, and the member that has himself/herself subjected to these authorities will be a very happy Christian.
Most churches are so society oriented until they have yielded the authority to the secular. That will bring much heartache and discouragement to any person and home. Most everyone wants to control the authority figure in his life and reserves that right to be given to whom he chooses. Not so, according to the Bible. There is an authority structure in the Bible and those who follow it will be blessed of God, and those who reject it will be cursed of God.
VI. A CHURCH THAT MAGNIFIES CHRIST VS. 8.
Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (KJV) What Jesus Christ was in the writing of this verse by Paul, He still is today. If He was to be magnified by the Churches in Paul’s day, He is to be magnified today. The church that does that will be blessed greatly of God. That’s why it is unscriptural for the attention to be placed on the Holy Spirit as so many do today. Jesus Christ is the object of magnification and not the Holy Spirit.
VII. A CHURCH THAT STAYS WITH THE BIBLE VS. 9.
Heb 13:9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. (KJV)
A. Our Only Authority.
B. The Great Commission Was Given To The Local Church.
Any and all ministry work must come from the Local Church. No one can go out into any ministerial work under his or her own authority. If it is not under the authority of a local church then it is not biblical and should be scrapped.
C. Of Course This Is Speaking About The Only True Bible. The King James Bible.
When this was written the KJV didn’t exist, but there was a Bible then that was the “True Word of God.” We have that same guarantee for today.
Some asks, “Why all the fuss over the Bible?” Why? Because most churches do not use the True Word of God. It has to meet certain criteria to be the Inspired, inerrant, infallible, eternal Word of God. I could write a statement using terminology like “thou” – “thee” – “doeth” – “showeth” and it would not be the word of God. Just because someone publishes a version of the Bible and calls it the Word of God does not mean a “hill of beans.”
There can only be one standard. Suppose the US Military had two different flags that they used for the marching and the honoring of the sovereignty of the USA? There would be a great division among the military. Neither would have the full authority of the USA. There can only be one standard. As far as the Bible that One Standard is the King James Bible. All others are inferior. God will honor only one Bible, thus, we had better be sure we have the right one.
Every version of the Bible published since 1611 has taken certain doctrines and changed or weakened them compared to the KJV. This church and this pastor will stay with the True Word of God – the KJV.
God is pleased when a new church begins and He will bless that church is it will follow the chain that He requires for it to be blessed.
How can we improve on the matter of presenting ourselves to be blessed of God?
Check yourself out and see if God can bless this church through you.
INVITATION
