WEBVTT 00:00:01.260 --> 00:00:05.259 It's possible to be very sincere in your beliefs, 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:08.919 but ultimately it does no good if the beliefs 00:00:08.919 --> 00:00:32.119 are not true. through the ministry of TWR. Let's 00:00:32.119 --> 00:00:35.420 get started with today's episode. We're traveling 00:00:35.420 --> 00:00:38.039 together once again through the pages of the 00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:41.479 precious word of God, the Bible. And today we've 00:00:41.479 --> 00:00:43.979 come to the end of our study through Hebrews. 00:00:45.219 --> 00:00:48.380 In a world where self -help is so valued and 00:00:48.380 --> 00:00:51.700 the truth is so hard to find, how do we know 00:00:51.700 --> 00:00:55.060 who to believe and who to trust? Our teacher, 00:00:55.299 --> 00:00:58.100 John Matthews, will present Chapter 13 of this 00:00:58.100 --> 00:01:01.439 letter with the theme, Final Recommendations. 00:01:02.039 --> 00:01:04.579 Esther, thanks so much. Great to be with you 00:01:04.579 --> 00:01:09.099 and a very warm welcome to Mission 66. As Esther 00:01:09.099 --> 00:01:10.819 mentioned there, we're finishing up the book 00:01:10.819 --> 00:01:14.540 of Hebrews, which was written mainly to Jewish 00:01:14.540 --> 00:01:18.099 Christians of the first century and situation 00:01:18.099 --> 00:01:20.340 with these guys where they were being tempted. 00:01:20.829 --> 00:01:24.469 to go back to elements of Judaism rather than 00:01:24.469 --> 00:01:28.209 continue in this new path of freedom that they 00:01:28.209 --> 00:01:30.890 discovered through their faith and their belief 00:01:30.890 --> 00:01:36.370 in Jesus, recognizing him as the Messiah. Why 00:01:36.370 --> 00:01:40.430 were they tempted to go back? Well, they're facing 00:01:40.430 --> 00:01:43.489 trials really and tough times in their lives 00:01:43.489 --> 00:01:47.129 and they were causing people to doubt. And so 00:01:47.129 --> 00:01:53.510 here, Hebrews underlines and shows the superiority 00:01:53.510 --> 00:01:57.709 of Jesus as compared to any other elements of 00:01:57.709 --> 00:02:00.890 Judaism that the Hebrews might have been trusted 00:02:00.890 --> 00:02:03.609 or might have been led to trust in before or 00:02:03.609 --> 00:02:07.650 go back to. And so it underlines that Jesus is 00:02:07.650 --> 00:02:10.810 better than the angels. He's better than Moses. 00:02:11.330 --> 00:02:14.490 He's better than Moses's law, better than the 00:02:14.490 --> 00:02:19.110 Old Testament priesthood, because Jesus is the 00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:24.180 great high priest and he was better than the 00:02:24.180 --> 00:02:27.460 temple sacrifices because Jesus as the lamb of 00:02:27.460 --> 00:02:33.560 God became the ultimate sacrifice and for the 00:02:33.560 --> 00:02:37.240 penitent sinner Jesus's blood makes every spot 00:02:37.240 --> 00:02:40.780 clean and there needs to be no more sacrifice 00:02:40.780 --> 00:02:44.340 than the one that he made and so now here at 00:02:44.340 --> 00:02:47.620 the end of this book of Hebrews in chapter 13 00:02:47.620 --> 00:02:52.419 the author gives us some final recommendations. 00:02:53.340 --> 00:02:58.680 Let's read. Let brotherly love continue. Do not 00:02:58.680 --> 00:03:02.240 neglect to show hospitality to strangers for 00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:06.199 thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 00:03:06.939 --> 00:03:09.599 It's an interesting verse isn't it and makes 00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:13.120 me think sometimes we become so self -centered 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:16.500 sometimes that we don't habitually welcome strangers 00:03:16.500 --> 00:03:20.129 these days because Well, house guests involve 00:03:20.129 --> 00:03:23.710 work. But here the writer is reminding us that 00:03:23.710 --> 00:03:26.729 sometimes angels might walk among us and we might 00:03:26.729 --> 00:03:31.449 never know it. And we just have no idea how our 00:03:31.449 --> 00:03:35.810 kindness to strangers will be rewarded. And then 00:03:35.810 --> 00:03:39.810 it says, remember those who are in prison as 00:03:39.810 --> 00:03:43.389 though in prison with them, and those who are 00:03:43.389 --> 00:03:47.800 mistreated since you also are in the body. Here 00:03:47.800 --> 00:03:50.319 the idea was to remember to bring them some food 00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:53.439 or clothing because often those who were in jail 00:03:53.439 --> 00:03:58.199 were deprived of basic necessities. Verse four, 00:03:58.759 --> 00:04:03.060 let marriage be held in honor among all and let 00:04:03.060 --> 00:04:07.879 the marriage bed be undefiled for God will judge 00:04:07.879 --> 00:04:13.550 the immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free 00:04:13.550 --> 00:04:16.490 from love of money and be content with what you 00:04:16.490 --> 00:04:22.189 have for he has said I Will never leave you nor 00:04:22.189 --> 00:04:26.990 forsake you and so we can confidently say The 00:04:26.990 --> 00:04:32.850 Lord is my helper. I will not fear What can man 00:04:32.850 --> 00:04:37.970 do to me? See contentment is the opposite of 00:04:37.970 --> 00:04:42.389 covetousness And if we've got Jesus as our good 00:04:42.389 --> 00:04:44.250 shepherd, well, then we have everything that 00:04:44.250 --> 00:04:48.509 we need. God knows what we need, even before 00:04:48.509 --> 00:04:53.569 we ask. Charles Spurgeon once said that contentment 00:04:53.569 --> 00:04:57.829 in all states is not a natural propensity of 00:04:57.829 --> 00:05:01.910 mankind. So what does he mean by that? Well, 00:05:01.910 --> 00:05:05.889 if someone, for example, had a million, they 00:05:05.889 --> 00:05:08.899 would probably want two million soon. If they 00:05:08.899 --> 00:05:11.139 had two million, then they'd soon want four. 00:05:11.779 --> 00:05:14.300 The devil himself was not content in heaven, 00:05:14.439 --> 00:05:16.079 neither were some of the angels who followed 00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:20.980 him. Adam was not content in paradise, he just 00:05:20.980 --> 00:05:26.079 had to sample that one forbidden fruit. Mankind 00:05:26.079 --> 00:05:30.939 always needs once more and more and more, and 00:05:30.939 --> 00:05:34.759 yet is still not content. But remember the Apostle 00:05:34.759 --> 00:05:38.730 Paul, though abased and completely emptied of 00:05:38.730 --> 00:05:42.550 riches. He had learned, in whatever state that 00:05:42.550 --> 00:05:47.589 he found himself, to be content. And Christians 00:05:47.589 --> 00:05:52.329 have reason to be content. If we have treasures 00:05:52.329 --> 00:05:55.389 in heaven, surely we can put up with our lot 00:05:55.389 --> 00:06:00.410 in life here for a little while. But the true 00:06:00.410 --> 00:06:05.199 longing of every soul ever born will only find 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:11.459 its fulfillment and belonging in Jesus. Coming 00:06:11.459 --> 00:06:16.199 to Him is coming home to the one who created 00:06:16.199 --> 00:06:19.899 us in the first place, who knew us long before 00:06:19.899 --> 00:06:24.000 we were born, who knows us far better than we 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:27.699 will ever know ourselves and loves us with a 00:06:27.699 --> 00:06:33.129 love that is perfect and immeasurable. Verse 00:06:33.129 --> 00:06:37.670 7, remember your leaders. Those who spoke to 00:06:37.670 --> 00:06:40.529 you the word of God consider the outcome of their 00:06:40.529 --> 00:06:46.230 way of life and imitate their faiths. Jesus Christ 00:06:46.230 --> 00:06:52.089 is the same yesterday and today and forever. 00:06:52.990 --> 00:06:55.350 Isn't that a great verse? You know, Jesus does 00:06:55.350 --> 00:06:57.889 not change with the winds of public opinion. 00:06:57.889 --> 00:07:01.759 He doesn't have bad days and good days. And what 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:04.600 he considered sin in the Old Testament still 00:07:04.600 --> 00:07:10.660 is sin today. And yet he is always good, merciful, 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:14.439 and so willing to receive anybody who comes to 00:07:14.439 --> 00:07:19.379 him in repentance and faith. Verse 9 Do not be 00:07:19.379 --> 00:07:22.459 led away by diverse and strange teachings, for 00:07:22.459 --> 00:07:25.339 it is good for the heart to be strengthened by 00:07:25.339 --> 00:07:28.459 grace, not by foods which have not benefited 00:07:28.459 --> 00:07:31.889 those devoted to them. This speaks to those who 00:07:31.889 --> 00:07:34.310 put a great deal of hope in observing strict 00:07:34.310 --> 00:07:38.250 dietary laws. You know, it's possible to be really 00:07:38.250 --> 00:07:43.110 sincere in our beliefs, but it does no good whatsoever 00:07:43.110 --> 00:07:48.810 if those beliefs are not true. Verse 10, we have 00:07:48.810 --> 00:07:53.250 an altar from which those who serve the tent 00:07:53.250 --> 00:07:56.990 have no right to eat. Tent meaning tabernacle 00:07:56.990 --> 00:08:00.110 there. for the bodies of those animals whose 00:08:00.110 --> 00:08:03.170 blood is brought up into the holy places by the 00:08:03.170 --> 00:08:07.089 high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned 00:08:07.089 --> 00:08:12.389 outside the camp. So Jesus, the Lamb of God, 00:08:12.889 --> 00:08:16.610 also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify 00:08:16.610 --> 00:08:23.370 the people through his own blood. Therefore, 00:08:23.949 --> 00:08:27.490 let us go to him outside the camp. and bear the 00:08:27.490 --> 00:08:32.029 reproach that he endured. This means just as 00:08:32.029 --> 00:08:36.049 Jesus suffered outside the city gates, we must 00:08:36.049 --> 00:08:39.529 likewise be willing to suffer the same kind of 00:08:39.529 --> 00:08:42.070 indignities that he suffered from those who opposed 00:08:42.070 --> 00:08:47.269 him, and if we suffer with him, we will certainly 00:08:47.269 --> 00:08:52.929 share in his rewards and victory. Verse 14, for 00:08:52.929 --> 00:08:57.450 we have no lasting city. But we seek the city 00:08:57.450 --> 00:09:02.149 that is to come. Through him then let us continually 00:09:02.149 --> 00:09:05.909 offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, 00:09:06.169 --> 00:09:09.009 the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 00:09:09.549 --> 00:09:13.830 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you 00:09:13.830 --> 00:09:18.250 have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. 00:09:19.210 --> 00:09:22.899 Obey your leaders and submit to them. for they 00:09:22.899 --> 00:09:25.659 are keeping watch over your souls as those who 00:09:25.659 --> 00:09:29.059 will have to give an account. Let them do this 00:09:29.059 --> 00:09:32.879 with joy and not with groaning, for that would 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:36.500 be of no advantage to you." To hear the writers 00:09:36.500 --> 00:09:39.620 talking about, let's say, those church leaders, 00:09:39.779 --> 00:09:42.820 those pastors and overseers who have, you know, 00:09:43.019 --> 00:09:45.259 enough trouble overseeing the flock without us 00:09:45.259 --> 00:09:48.720 adding to that burden by having bad attitudes. 00:09:49.559 --> 00:09:53.679 Verse 18, pray for us. For we are sure that we 00:09:53.679 --> 00:09:56.879 have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably 00:09:56.879 --> 00:10:00.360 in all things. I urge you the more earnestly 00:10:00.360 --> 00:10:03.220 to do this, in order that I may be restored to 00:10:03.220 --> 00:10:07.419 you the sooner. Now, may the God of peace, who 00:10:07.419 --> 00:10:11.980 brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the 00:10:11.980 --> 00:10:15.259 great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of 00:10:15.259 --> 00:10:19.710 the eternal covenant, equip you. with everything 00:10:19.710 --> 00:10:24.269 good that you may do his will, working in us 00:10:24.269 --> 00:10:28.490 that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus 00:10:28.490 --> 00:10:35.470 Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. 00:10:36.250 --> 00:10:39.990 And then finally, the writer says, I appeal to 00:10:39.990 --> 00:10:43.730 you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation 00:10:43.730 --> 00:10:47.570 for I have written to you briefly. You should 00:10:47.570 --> 00:10:50.210 know that our brother Timothy has been released 00:10:50.210 --> 00:10:54.330 with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. Greet 00:10:54.330 --> 00:10:58.529 all your leaders and all the saints. Those who 00:10:58.529 --> 00:11:02.070 come from Italy send you greetings. Grace be 00:11:02.070 --> 00:11:06.649 with all of you. So even though we don't officially 00:11:06.649 --> 00:11:09.009 know exactly who wrote this book of Hebrews, 00:11:09.129 --> 00:11:11.850 I guess these final verses are giving us a couple 00:11:11.850 --> 00:11:14.679 of hints that it could have been the Apostle 00:11:14.679 --> 00:11:17.639 Paul. He mentions Timothy, doesn't he, who was 00:11:17.639 --> 00:11:21.139 his disciple and the pastor at Ephesus, who'd 00:11:21.139 --> 00:11:23.320 evidently been imprisoned temporarily and was 00:11:23.320 --> 00:11:25.519 being released, and also because he talks about 00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:28.820 his hope of being restored to them soon. He mentions 00:11:28.820 --> 00:11:32.120 Italy as well, where Paul himself had been imprisoned 00:11:32.120 --> 00:11:35.370 in Rome. Now scholars have not yet been able 00:11:35.370 --> 00:11:38.450 to arrive at a firm conclusion that it was Paul 00:11:38.450 --> 00:11:41.769 who wrote this book, but whoever the writer was 00:11:41.769 --> 00:11:44.549 would have had to have had an extraordinary grasp 00:11:44.549 --> 00:12:00.009 of Judaism as well as Christianity. the main 00:12:00.009 --> 00:12:02.490 points, and we've just finished off Hebrews. 00:12:03.009 --> 00:12:05.350 Now, I do want to take just a moment to thank 00:12:05.350 --> 00:12:07.549 you for your prayers and your financial partnership 00:12:07.549 --> 00:12:10.929 with Mission 66, as this allows us to reach listeners 00:12:10.929 --> 00:12:13.730 in multiple languages around the world. Now, 00:12:13.730 --> 00:12:15.950 if you would like to make a financial gift to 00:12:15.950 --> 00:12:19.330 this ministry to help us sustain our broadcasts, 00:12:19.450 --> 00:12:24.210 please visit mission66 .org. That's mission66 00:12:24.210 --> 00:12:28.350 .org. Now, dear friend, here are just a few questions 00:12:28.350 --> 00:12:31.379 that will help us understand better what we've 00:12:31.379 --> 00:12:34.179 just read in the book of Hebrews. So John, in 00:12:34.179 --> 00:12:37.159 the beginning it says to show hospitality because 00:12:37.159 --> 00:12:40.340 we never really know whether we're entertaining 00:12:40.340 --> 00:12:43.139 angels and you know I can imagine that most of 00:12:43.139 --> 00:12:45.200 us are kind of thinking back to our encounters 00:12:45.200 --> 00:12:48.659 with strangers to see if perhaps we were entertaining 00:12:48.659 --> 00:12:52.059 angels. But regardless of that, what part do 00:12:52.059 --> 00:12:55.360 angels play in the grand scheme of things? Well 00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:58.840 Esther in the Bible angels are called ministering 00:12:58.840 --> 00:13:03.059 spirits that are sent by God To assist those 00:13:03.059 --> 00:13:06.399 who will inherit salvation and we don't always 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:10.200 know who they are Jesus said children have special 00:13:10.200 --> 00:13:13.700 angels watching over them whose face is always 00:13:13.700 --> 00:13:17.360 behold the Father in heaven And so we can be 00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:20.159 glad for that angelic help if it happens, but 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:23.240 we're warned in Hebrews chapter 1 not to worship 00:13:23.240 --> 00:13:26.820 angels or to seek their help or consider them 00:13:26.820 --> 00:13:31.519 to be mediators between us and God, but to hold 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:36.519 our worship for God alone. Elsewhere in this 00:13:36.519 --> 00:13:39.559 chapter, I actually noted Paul talking about 00:13:39.559 --> 00:13:41.799 the devil being transformed into an angel of 00:13:41.799 --> 00:13:44.139 light. Yeah, that's right. You know, if we try 00:13:44.139 --> 00:13:47.240 to contact angels when the Bible says not to, 00:13:47.460 --> 00:13:49.860 there is the danger of ending up with the wrong 00:13:49.860 --> 00:13:52.940 kind of angels, so the demons can get involved 00:13:52.940 --> 00:13:56.740 whenever we go beyond what the Bible recommends. 00:13:57.460 --> 00:14:00.120 For sure. All right, well, let's have a look 00:14:00.120 --> 00:14:02.360 at verse four, because the writer of Hebrews 00:14:02.360 --> 00:14:05.419 says that the marriage bed is undefiled, but 00:14:05.419 --> 00:14:08.700 adulterers will be judged. Would you care to 00:14:08.700 --> 00:14:12.190 expand on that? Yeah, let me do that. And this 00:14:12.190 --> 00:14:16.190 verse contains much caution for us that we not 00:14:16.190 --> 00:14:19.009 dishonor God by dishonoring the marriage covenant. 00:14:19.330 --> 00:14:22.549 And so the marriage relationship is this sacred 00:14:22.549 --> 00:14:27.090 union, ordained by God, created in the perfection 00:14:27.090 --> 00:14:31.169 of God, which brings not only pleasure to the 00:14:31.169 --> 00:14:35.049 couple, but a kind of communication without words 00:14:35.049 --> 00:14:38.710 that is only possible on that intimate level. 00:14:38.940 --> 00:14:40.980 There is another way perhaps of putting this, 00:14:41.059 --> 00:14:44.700 that the Spirit of God is present during that 00:14:44.700 --> 00:14:48.200 act, when it is placed in its proper bounds. 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:52.679 And sex was meant to be the ultimate God -honouring 00:14:52.679 --> 00:14:56.440 joy between a man and a woman in a covenant of 00:14:56.440 --> 00:14:59.879 faithfulness to one another. But the reality 00:14:59.879 --> 00:15:03.259 is that many suffer with the guilt and the shame 00:15:03.259 --> 00:15:07.840 caused by adultery and sexual immorality, maybe 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:11.100 perhaps even seeing themselves powerless to escape 00:15:11.100 --> 00:15:14.980 from its grip or the grip of pornography. But 00:15:14.980 --> 00:15:18.659 that is a lie, that inability, you're not escaping 00:15:18.659 --> 00:15:22.919 from this. And in the words of American pastor 00:15:22.919 --> 00:15:27.279 John Piper, this is what he said, I am not helpless. 00:15:27.950 --> 00:15:32.370 God did not make me to drift. I'm not a jellyfish 00:15:32.370 --> 00:15:35.929 in the currents of lust. That is not what God 00:15:35.929 --> 00:15:39.750 created human beings to be. That is not why Christ 00:15:39.750 --> 00:15:43.110 died for me. That is not why I have the Holy 00:15:43.110 --> 00:15:46.809 Spirit. That is not why I am a new creature in 00:15:46.809 --> 00:15:54.909 Christ. I am not helpless because I have Christ. 00:15:55.389 --> 00:15:59.649 I have the Holy Spirit. I have the blood of the 00:15:59.649 --> 00:16:03.570 cross of the Son of God. I have the entire Word 00:16:03.570 --> 00:16:09.490 of God, the promises of grace. I am not helpless. 00:16:10.509 --> 00:16:13.350 See, we were created to live for the glory of 00:16:13.350 --> 00:16:17.710 God and to bless others. When we get away from 00:16:17.710 --> 00:16:20.830 those things that we were designed for, the world, 00:16:21.529 --> 00:16:24.950 the flesh and the devil are always there. to 00:16:24.950 --> 00:16:29.669 help us go astray. But the truth is here, when 00:16:29.669 --> 00:16:33.009 faced with these temptations and when even embroiled 00:16:33.009 --> 00:16:38.309 in them, we are not helpless to break free from 00:16:38.309 --> 00:16:41.289 them. Yeah, and you know, the author not only 00:16:41.289 --> 00:16:44.850 warns about adultery, but he also talks about 00:16:44.850 --> 00:16:47.850 the love of money. And these two things often 00:16:47.850 --> 00:16:52.389 walk side by side, don't they? Sometimes adultery 00:16:52.389 --> 00:16:54.870 and greed run in the same lane. You know, I believe 00:16:54.870 --> 00:16:57.929 the Lord instituted the tithes and offerings 00:16:57.929 --> 00:17:01.330 to keep us in that habit of giving him the first 00:17:01.330 --> 00:17:04.329 fruits of everything that we earn. And that's 00:17:04.329 --> 00:17:07.430 one of the ways of helping us against greed. 00:17:08.829 --> 00:17:12.289 Ah, so Hebrews mentioned something incredible 00:17:12.289 --> 00:17:15.450 when it says that Jesus is the same yesterday, 00:17:15.569 --> 00:17:20.250 today and forever. How far back does Jesus go? 00:17:20.779 --> 00:17:26.539 Well, Jesus is an eternal being. What does that 00:17:26.539 --> 00:17:30.359 mean? Well, he pre -existed before the creation 00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:35.339 of the world and will continue to exist into 00:17:35.339 --> 00:17:39.119 an eternal future. So this is nearly impossible 00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:41.420 for us to get our heads around with our limited 00:17:41.420 --> 00:17:45.559 minds. But Jesus Christ was the same in the Old 00:17:45.559 --> 00:17:49.160 Testament as he is in today's age of grace, and 00:17:49.160 --> 00:17:52.920 he will be that way into the future. And so he 00:17:52.920 --> 00:17:54.980 shows up, doesn't he, in the Old Testament as 00:17:54.980 --> 00:17:58.819 an angelic being known only as the Angel of the 00:17:58.819 --> 00:18:02.079 Lord. He was talked about by Moses and by the 00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:04.819 prophets who foretold his coming to earth as 00:18:04.819 --> 00:18:08.369 a man. He was not able to be killed. And then 00:18:08.369 --> 00:18:11.329 he rose bodily from the grave and ascended into 00:18:11.329 --> 00:18:16.869 heaven before witnesses saw him rise. He will 00:18:16.869 --> 00:18:21.210 be equally merciful, powerful, all -sufficient 00:18:21.210 --> 00:18:27.970 and defined by love forevermore. John, I'd like 00:18:27.970 --> 00:18:31.150 to take a moment to just discuss church leadership. 00:18:31.930 --> 00:18:34.910 How do we know who is a true leader that we can 00:18:34.910 --> 00:18:38.329 listen to? And, you know, which are the false 00:18:38.329 --> 00:18:41.190 teachers who want to lead us astray? Yeah, I 00:18:41.190 --> 00:18:44.650 think sometimes there's a danger of judging leaders 00:18:44.650 --> 00:18:48.190 by the wrong criteria first up. I mean, you know, 00:18:48.289 --> 00:18:51.490 sometimes we're more inclined to listen. to those 00:18:51.490 --> 00:18:54.269 leaders if they seem smart or they talk well 00:18:54.269 --> 00:18:57.650 and fluently or they've got an educational degree 00:18:57.650 --> 00:19:00.910 or look impressive. Now obviously it is important 00:19:00.910 --> 00:19:03.670 for someone to have knowledge and to take care 00:19:03.670 --> 00:19:05.829 of themselves. Nothing wrong at all with doing 00:19:05.829 --> 00:19:09.430 your best if given to academia and having a degree. 00:19:09.509 --> 00:19:13.450 But I think the first important thing is to be 00:19:13.450 --> 00:19:16.190 faithful to biblical teaching and the true leader. 00:19:16.569 --> 00:19:20.650 is the one who speaks according to the word of 00:19:20.650 --> 00:19:23.150 God and the people in the church, well, they 00:19:23.150 --> 00:19:25.410 need to pay attention and see if a leader's teaching 00:19:25.410 --> 00:19:29.150 are in accordance with the Bible. Second thing 00:19:29.150 --> 00:19:33.049 I think to observe is lifestyle and overall behavior. 00:19:33.710 --> 00:19:36.930 How does that leader treat his wife, his family? 00:19:37.430 --> 00:19:39.950 How does he handle his responsibilities, his 00:19:39.950 --> 00:19:43.809 financial affairs? How does he approach his children. 00:19:43.990 --> 00:19:47.529 Does he show an unusual love for expensive possessions 00:19:47.529 --> 00:19:50.829 or financial gain? You know these kind of things 00:19:50.829 --> 00:19:54.930 are indications of character and Jesus said that 00:19:54.930 --> 00:19:59.150 by their fruits you shall know them and a good 00:19:59.150 --> 00:20:04.049 tree brings forth good fruit. Yeah and you know 00:20:04.049 --> 00:20:06.609 they could confidently say that they shouldn't 00:20:06.609 --> 00:20:10.769 fear you know what can man do to me? This seems 00:20:10.769 --> 00:20:13.289 to say that believers would suffer some kind 00:20:13.289 --> 00:20:15.329 of persecution. I mean, we know that it happened 00:20:15.329 --> 00:20:18.769 back then, but is persecution of Christianity 00:20:18.769 --> 00:20:22.170 still a reality today? Very much so, Esther. 00:20:22.529 --> 00:20:25.970 You know, it has always been a reality and to 00:20:25.970 --> 00:20:28.950 some degree or other. That has been the story 00:20:28.950 --> 00:20:33.109 of Christian history and whilst we hear an awful 00:20:33.109 --> 00:20:36.309 lot about human rights today, it's estimated 00:20:36.309 --> 00:20:40.769 that in the last century alone, 45 million Christians 00:20:40.769 --> 00:20:44.630 were martyred for their faith. Now, depending 00:20:44.630 --> 00:20:48.210 where we live, we may not be faced with losing 00:20:48.210 --> 00:20:50.349 our lives or being imprisoned for our faith, 00:20:50.369 --> 00:20:53.839 but there is... undeniably a growing attitude 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:57.460 of intolerance toward Bible believers. In some 00:20:57.460 --> 00:21:00.079 parts of the world it is dangerous to carry a 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:02.400 Bible in public or you can be jailed for sharing 00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:05.539 your faith with somebody else. But I think it's 00:21:05.539 --> 00:21:08.700 really noteworthy that wherever persecution has 00:21:08.700 --> 00:21:12.380 been heaviest, often that is where belief in 00:21:12.380 --> 00:21:15.920 Jesus has grown the quickest and where believers 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:19.259 are strengthened more than in areas, let's say, 00:21:19.400 --> 00:21:23.009 where it's perhaps easier to be a believer. So 00:21:23.009 --> 00:21:25.750 persecution has a way of separating the true 00:21:25.750 --> 00:21:28.930 believers from the ones who are just in it for 00:21:28.930 --> 00:21:33.509 their own reasons, because it forces everybody 00:21:33.509 --> 00:21:36.950 to get far more serious about their relationship 00:21:36.950 --> 00:21:39.609 with God. Now I know there are plenty of people 00:21:39.609 --> 00:21:42.250 who have been in prison for political reasons 00:21:42.250 --> 00:21:44.829 or for exposing the misdeeds of ruling regimes, 00:21:44.829 --> 00:21:47.930 but I think if I'm going to have to give my life 00:21:47.930 --> 00:21:52.339 for something, Well, I want to make sure it is 00:21:52.339 --> 00:21:57.960 for the right thing, the right thing. In my mind, 00:21:58.420 --> 00:22:05.380 Jesus is the right thing. Well, we have now come 00:22:05.380 --> 00:22:07.619 to the end of our study of the book of Hebrews. 00:22:07.819 --> 00:22:09.599 And John, thank you so much for just leading 00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:12.839 us and giving us a greater understanding of the 00:22:12.839 --> 00:22:16.680 Bible. So how can we summarize this entire book? 00:22:17.049 --> 00:22:20.369 Well, Hebrews shows both the Jewish Christians 00:22:20.369 --> 00:22:23.269 and also anybody else who came into Christianity 00:22:23.269 --> 00:22:27.930 that Jesus is better. He's better than the angels. 00:22:28.329 --> 00:22:30.950 He's better than the old priesthood. He's better 00:22:30.950 --> 00:22:33.730 than the Old Testament law because he mediated 00:22:33.730 --> 00:22:37.609 a better covenant than the Mosaic covenant. The 00:22:37.609 --> 00:22:41.750 new covenant has a better sanctuary. That is, 00:22:42.089 --> 00:22:46.500 God's Spirit dwells within the heart. of every 00:22:46.500 --> 00:22:51.099 believer and Jesus made himself a more sufficient 00:22:51.099 --> 00:22:55.160 and permanent once for all sacrifice for sin 00:22:55.160 --> 00:23:00.180 whereas the temple sacrifices could only be temporary 00:23:00.180 --> 00:23:03.619 and in his final recommendations in chapter 13 00:23:03.619 --> 00:23:08.579 the writer says it is necessary to go with Jesus 00:23:08.579 --> 00:23:13.440 outside the camp and suffer scorn and derision 00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:17.079 with him because after all Jesus suffered those 00:23:17.079 --> 00:23:20.799 things outside the camp for us and the time had 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:24.099 come for the Jewish Christians to let go of the 00:23:24.099 --> 00:23:27.759 old Judaism that they had known and declare their 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:32.319 loyalty to Christ their Messiah and consider 00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:37.200 him above all the other things that they may 00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:42.250 have been tempted to trust. May God, Esther, 00:23:42.789 --> 00:23:52.430 give us all grace to do the same. Well, dear 00:23:52.430 --> 00:23:54.970 friend, we want to thank you for being with us. 00:23:55.009 --> 00:23:57.650 And I can tell you we are already preparing a 00:23:57.650 --> 00:24:00.769 new series of studies in the book of James. So 00:24:00.769 --> 00:24:03.549 please be sure to join us as we begin with chapter 00:24:03.549 --> 00:24:09.930 one next time on Mission 66. Has God used today's 00:24:09.930 --> 00:24:12.509 program in your life? Then you'll want to receive 00:24:12.509 --> 00:24:14.269 the free study guide that's waiting for you on 00:24:14.269 --> 00:24:17.490 our website. You can get it right away by downloading 00:24:17.490 --> 00:24:22.589 it at mission66 .org. At mission66 .org, you 00:24:22.589 --> 00:24:24.809 can also leave a comment or make a donation to 00:24:24.809 --> 00:24:27.730 help this listener -supported ministry. When 00:24:27.730 --> 00:24:29.990 you give, you're helping listeners experience 00:24:29.990 --> 00:24:32.750 solid Bible teaching in many languages in some 00:24:32.750 --> 00:24:34.730 of the most spiritually resistant places in the 00:24:34.730 --> 00:24:39.349 world. Thank you for helping at Mission66 .org. 00:24:39.869 --> 00:24:43.009 Mission 66 is a ministry of Transworld Radio.