Let Love Escape - Hebrews 13:1-3. Please turn to Hebrews 13. Have you found Hebrews 13? Please hold your place there for a few minutes.

Transcription

1 1 Let Love Escape - Hebrews 13:1-3 Please turn to Hebrews 13. Have you found Hebrews 13? Please hold your place there for a few minutes. To lay a foundation for today's message, I'm going to read Romans 5:5 to you. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. God has so much love that the Bible says, "God is love." God's love is so amazing that only the best adjectives in our language can be used to describe it. God's love is unconditional. When I hire a person at work, I look on the application or resume for their knowledge, skills, and abilities. I set several conditions that the applicants must meet just to get an interview. I don't pour out employment to anyone unless the applicant meets my conditions. God doesn't set conditions on his love. We don t have to do great things to earn God's love. We don't have to be a great person to earn God's love. We don t have to have great knowledge, skills, and abilities to earn God's love. There are no conditions that we have to meet to earn God's love. God pours out unconditional love. God's love is sacrificial. Lots of people are willing to show love if it's easy to do so or if they get back more than they give. It's hard to find love that will sacrifice time, effort, money, and comfort. Human love often isn't very sacrificial. God's love is sacrificial. It gives everything for others. God didn't even withhold his only Son. God loved the world sacrificially, so he gave his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He allowed Jesus to go through unspeakable horrors for our benefit. God pours out sacrificial love. God's love is inseparable. Romans, Chapter 8 tells us that nothing can separate us from God's love. Oh, you can walk this aisle and say "the" prayer and not understand or mean what you are doing and later turn away. In that case you were never really attached to God's love. If someone turns away, it is because he was never attached to eternal life. If you truly embrace God's love by accepting Jesus as your Lord

2 2 and Savior, nothing can change that. Your salvation is sure forever because God's love is inseparable. God pours out inseparable love. God's love is unfathomable. We can't measure its depth. We can't know its height. We can t understand its wonder. God's love is unfathomable. God pours out unfathomable love. I could mention many other adjectives and still not adequately describe God's great love. But, I must move on to get to the main point for today. I need two volunteers. Imagine a large container. The large container is filled with something very special. What do you think is in the large container? God's love. To one volunteer: "Hi, my name is God and this is the Holy Spirit. Do you believe in my Son, Jesus? Have you accepted him as your Lord and Savior? Then, welcome into my family. The Holy Spirit has something for you. It's my love. Here, let me pour my love into your heart through the Holy Spirit." Applause for the volunteers. Do you realize that is what happened when you became a Christian? God, through the Holy Spirit, poured his love into your heart. Do you realize that, as you sit here today, your heart is full of God's love? It's there, but to make an impact on the world, you must let the love escape. You must pour God s love out of your heart. God poured it in. You pour it out. Hebrews 13:1-3 tells us three ways we can let God's love escape from our hearts. Are you still at Hebrews 13? Show brotherly love Heb_13:1 Show hospitality Heb_13:2 Show empathy for others Heb_13:3 So, let's look at Hebrews Chapter 13, verses 1 through 3 and the topic "Let Love Escape." 1 Keep on loving each other as brothers. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

3 3 3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. 1. Brotherly love (vs. 1) 1 Keep on loving each other as brothers. The first way we can let love escape is through brotherly love. The writer of Hebrews tells us to keep on loving each other as brothers. What must exist before we can keep on loving each other? The Hebrews already loved each other. The author encouraged them to keep up the good work. The encouragement to keep on loving is for us too. Why is love important? 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that love is patient and kind. Love isn t jealous. Love doesn t sing its own praises. Love isn t arrogant. Love isn t rude or irritable. Love doesn t keep track of wrongs. Love isn t happy when injustice is done, but is happy with the truth. Love desires the best for others. Love overlooks faults. That s why love is important. What is the danger of allowing love to be interrupted? Looking at the flip side of 1 Corinthians 13, we can conclude that without love the following abound: jealousy, bragging, arrogance, rudeness, irritability, record keeping of wrongs, disregard for the truth, selfishness, and being critical of others. The author of Hebrews tells us to love each other as brothers and sisters. How should brothers and sisters in a family love each other? Considerate. Be as quiet as you can when someone is on the phone. Let someone else have the last homemade cookie. Supportive. Life can be tough emotionally. Be a shoulder to lean or cry on. Offer strength when someone feels weak. Kind. Speak and act gently. Perform random acts of kindness. Prayerful. Throughout the day for others. Not just when there is a big need. Protective. Stand shoulder to shoulder when trouble raises its ugly head. Helpful. Help bring the groceries in. Rinse the car while someone washes it.

4 4 That's how brothers and sisters in a family should love each other. How should brothers and sisters in Christ love each other? The same is true. Considerate, supportive, kind, prayerful, protective, and helpful. What is the message here for us as a church? Keep on being considerate, supportive, kind, prayerful, protective, and helpful. Keep on loving each other. What can you do better to love those around you? Are your eyes and ears open for their needs? Do you sometimes meet those needs? Do you put others feelings first? Do you overlook faults? Do you bite your tongue when you want to speak critically? Do you look for opportunities to speak encouraging words? Do you refrain from jealousy? Are you considerate, supportive, kind, prayerful, protective, and helpful? The author of Hebrews tells us to keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Let s make that a goal. Read Spoons below. A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, Lord, I would like to know what brotherly love is like. The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man s mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms. Each one found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back to their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished, laughing, and talking. The holy man said, Lord, I don t understand. It s simple, said the Lord. It requires just one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other. Our church will choose which room we will be like. I assure you that we will be stronger and healthier if we help each other. Helping each other is brotherly love.

5 5 John 13:34 Jesus, said. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. How did Jesus love us? He noticed our need and gave of himself to meet our need. He sacrificially gave his all. How are we to love each other? The same way Jesus has loved us. Notice people s needs. Give of your time, talents, and finances to love others. Don t make people earn your love. Give it freely. God poured his love into your heart through the Holy Spirit. Pour it back out as brotherly love in your family and our church family. God poured love in. Let love escape. 2. Hospitality (vs. 2) 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. The second way we can let love escape is to be hospitable to strangers and guests. Verse 2 talks about hospitality. What is hospitality? Hospitality is the act of receiving and entertaining strangers or guests without getting something in return. Hospitality is being kind and generous to others. It is making others feel comfortable and at home. In verse 2, we are told to be kind and generous to strangers. That can be more difficult than showing brotherly love. Where might we encounter a stranger to whom we should be hospitable? What about giving water to the electrician who crawls in our 120-degree attic in the middle of summer? What about holding the door open for someone whose hands are full? What about stopping to help change a tire? What about giving a warm welcome to those who visit our church? What is it like to be a visitor at a church? How might visitors feel? Uncomfortable. Apprehensive. Uncertain. Isolated. Hopeful. Hospitality conquers those difficulties for visitors.

6 6 What are visitors looking for in a church? Surveys show that the top two things visitors are looking for is acceptance and friendship. Seventy-five percent of visitors have made up their minds if they will come back before the pastor preaches. The level of hospitality is extremely important. We can learn a lot about hospitality from the hospitality industry. Let s look at one of the world s best-known hospitality figures, Mickey Mouse. Mickey Mouse smiles, even when he doesn t feel like it. Mickey Mouse offers a handshake or high five. Mickey Mouse is approachable Mickey Mouse makes time for people. Mickey Mouse kneels to your level. When I was ordained all the ordained ministers filed by me as I knelt. They bent over me, laid their hands on me, and prayed for me. One minister knelt down with me at my level. I was touched and numerous people came up afterward and remarked how touched they were by this man, who knelt to my level... Mickey Mouse realizes people may be afraid to approach him, so he goes to them. Mickey Mouse maintains eye contact. Mickey Mouse Invites people into his world and welcomes them there. Mickey Mouse greets people as they come and go. Mickey Mouse doesn t talk too much. Mickey Mouse listens to whatever people have to say. Mickey Mouse gives people his full attention when it s their turn. Mickey Mouse makes people feel that he has all the time in the world for them. Mickey Mouse Takes breaks to rest, but comes right back to work. Mickey Mouse gives out hugs all day. Let s be Mickey Mouse Christians, and examples of Christian hospitality. Verse 2 says some of the strangers we meet may be angels. What do you think about angels?

7 7 Abraham - Gen 18:1-2 The Lord appeared to Abram while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth. Abram didn t know they were angels. Lot - Gen 19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth. Lot didn t know the three men were angels. Gideon Judges 6: The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak at Ophrah that belonged to Joash, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon he said, The Lord is with you mighty warrior. But sir, Gideon replied, If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us. Gideon didn t know the man was an angel. Manoah s wife Judges 13:6 Then the woman went to her husband and told him, A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. She didn t know the man was an angel. In Billy Graham s book, Angels God s Secret Agents, he tells of a missionary in hostile tribal territory. The Reverend John G. Patton, a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands, tells a thrilling story involving the protective care of angels. Hostile natives surrounded his missionary headquarters one night, intent on burning the Patons out and killing them. John Paton and his wife prayed all during the terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see the attackers unaccountably leave. They thanked God for delivering them.

8 8 A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Christ, and Mr. Paton, remembering what had happened, asked the chief what had kept him and his men from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, "Who were all those men you had with you there?" The missionary answered, "There were no men there, just my wife and I." The chief argued that they had seen many men standing guard - hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords in their hands. They circled the mission station, so the natives were afraid to attack. Only then did Mr. Paton realize that God had sent his angels to protect them. The chief agreed that there was no other explanation. Could it be that God had sent a legion of angels to protect his servants, whose lives were being endangered? Angels unaware! Have any of us unknowingly been hospitable to a stranger who was an angel? Possibly. Are we to help strangers merely because the stranger might be an angel? No. We help strangers because we are designed to pour God s love out of our hearts. God poured love in. Let love escape. 3. Empathy (vs. 3) 3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. A third way to let love escape is to have empathy for others. What is empathy? Empathy is being sensitive to and experiencing the feelings and thoughts of others. It is feeling what others feel. Verse 3 speaks specifically about having empathy for those in a physical prison. What other prisons might people be in who need our empathy? Loneliness. Debt. Depression. Addiction. Sin. What should our response be in these types of situations? Empathy. Sensitivity to the feelings and thoughts of others. We should remember hurting people as if we

9 9 were fellow prisoners in their place of hurt. It s easy to look down at people who are in self-made prisons, but the correct response is empathy. Feel for their imprisonment. As we traveled to church today, we all passed houses of people who are imprisoned by their lack of concern for spiritual things. Some of us here are imprisoned by something that keeps us from surrendering to God. The writer of Hebrews tells us to remember those in prison as if we were their fellow prisoners. Do we do that? Or do we rush right by their prisons on the way to the concerns of our lives? There is a prison on I-95 on the way to Miami. Many times I have driven by, not caring about those inside or the issues that enslave them. Not once have I prayed for any of the inmates. That shows I don t care. What is worse is when I pass by people I know and don t care about them as if I had the same pain they have. Don t pass by people. Stop and let love escape. In Matthew 25:37-40, Jesus said, Then the righteous will answer him, Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in and needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? The king will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. When we let love escape toward others, we also pour out love to God. The verses also address those who are mistreated? Who might we encounter who is mistreated? The wife of an abusive husband. A 9 th grader going to High School for the first time. A co-worker. What should our response be? We should respond as if we were experiencing the same suffering. We should respond with empathy. We are to feel deep compassion for people. We are to remember them in our prayers. We are to provide aid for their relief. It s the Christian thing to do. Imagine a young woman in her 20's. She is running through life at 100 miles an hour. She's headed in the wrong direction. She's trying to have a good life, but she's empty and her heart is cold from the absence of God's love. Dissatisfied with life, she set out on an adventure to find real meaning. Two years later she found herself even farther from the truth.

10 10 Now, she visits our church and sits in the back by herself. She isn't dressed like us, and she doesn't look like a nice girl. Would any of us hear her silent cry? Would any of us see that she's in trouble and going down in despair? She's so close that she's under the shadow of our steeple. She's lost and lonely and looking for the hope that's tucked away in you and me. Would anybody hear her? Would anybody notice her? She's yearning for someone to love her. She's searching for someone to save the day. Because of her need for affection, she has had a lapse of reason, where she gave herself to some prince charming guy. She's in our church. Would anybody hear her silent cry or see her pain? Would anybody see she's in danger? Would we share the hope that's tucked away in you and me? Or, would we judge her? Would we look at her with lofty glances? Would we view ourselves as better than she is? Would we imagine a scarlet letter "S" on her forehead, standing for sinner, even though we've never met her? If she showed up in our church searching for the hope that's tucked away in you, how would you respond? Sit down for video. Play music video, Does Anybody Hear Her? Lyrics - Does Anybody Hear Her? She is running A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction She is trying But the canyon's ever widening In the depths of her cold heart So she sets out on another misadventure just to find She's another two years older And she's three more steps behind Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see? Or does anybody even know she's going down today

11 11 Under the shadow of our steeple With all the lost and lonely people Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me Does anybody hear her? Does anybody see? She is yearning For shelter and affection That she's never found at home She is searching For a hero to ride in and save the day And in walks her prince charming And he knows just what to say Momentary lapse of reason And she gives herself away If judgment looms under every steeple If lofty glances from lofty people Can't see past her scarlet letter And we never even met her. Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see? Or does anybody even know she's going down today Under the shadow of our steeple With all the lost and lonely people Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me Does anybody hear her? Does anybody see? People need us! God has poured his love into your heart. Will you pour God's love out of your heart as brotherly love, hospitality, and empathy? Will you let love escape? Please bow your heads in prayer. Pray.

12 12 Oh, Lord what you could accomplish through Lockmar Baptist Church, if we would let your love escape from our hearts and land on others. Please keep your heads bowed. If God has poured his love into your heart, and you will commit to pour it back out to others, even the unlovely, I want you to say out loud to God, Lord, I promise to let love escape. I ll begin. We're going to sing hymn number. If you need to talk to God about something, come forward. If you want to accept Christ as your Savior or join this church, come forward. Come forward as we sing.