Sunday Night Bible Study Hebrews 13:15-25 December 18, 1994 Hebrews 13:15-25 Introduction The Jewish believers who were reading the original letter had been going through a great deal of persecution since they started believing in Jesus as their Messiah. Some of them had even been tempted to just give up in trusting in Jesus and go back to Judaism like they were before they were saved. The writer now begins to wrap up the letter with a lot of miscellaneous exhortations. 15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name. 16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. :15 By him therefore let us offer ... As we've seen in Hebrews, we have a new, perpetual high priest, namely Jesus Hebrews 8:1-2 Now of the things which we have spoken [this is] the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. This priest has completely dealt with all of our sins with a single offering, His own blood. Hebrews 10:12-AV But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; So, what's left, sacrifice-wise for us to do? The point here is that we now have a different kind of sacrifice to focus on, rather than the old sin sacrifice. :15 the sacrifice of praise to God continually New sacrifice #1: Sacrifice of praise Characteristics of this sacrifice: 1. It is a sacrifice A sacrifice is something that costs you, otherwise it isn't a sacrifice. 2Samuel 24:24-AV And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy [it] of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. Sometimes praise isn't easy, sometimes it is a sacrifice, it costs you something. God likes our praise Psalms 69:30-31 AV I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. 31 [This] also shall please the LORD better than an ox [or] bullock that hath horns and hoofs. God likes praise from you better than an animal sacrifice. 2. It is to be done continually The burnt offering was to be a continual sacrifice Exodus 29:38-AV Now this [is that] which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually. When David brought the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem, prior to the building of the temple, he instituted 24 hour worship: 1Chronicles 16:37-AV So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required: 1Chronicles 16:40-AV To offer burnt offerings unto the LORD upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and [to do] according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which he commanded Israel; Our praise is to come continually - I think that's where we start to understand the sacrifice involved. It's hard to praise when we feel like grumbling and complaining. It's hard to praise when we don't understand why we're going through our current hard time. Illustration: Alexander Whyte, the Scottish preacher, always began his prayers with an expression of gratitude. One cold, miserable day his people wondered what he would say. He prayed, "We thank Thee, O Lord, that it is not always like this." 3. It is to be the fruit of our lips the word "praise" actually denotes what is called a "thank offering". There is an interesting pattern in Scripture concerning a sacrifice of thanksgiving: Leviticus 7:11-12 And this [is] the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the LORD. 12 If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried. Though this sacrifice sounds like what we read about in Hebrews, this sacrifice involved animals (the peace offering) and the fruit of the ground (cakes, flour, etc.) Our sacrifice isn't to be from what other things have grown, it's to come from what our lives have grown inside us, expressed on our lips. Luke 6:45-AV A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. The kind of fruit that comes off of your lips says alot about what's growing in your heart. If our hearts are growing the right stuff, there will be praise and thanksgiving coming from our mouth. What's the opposite of thanksgiving? Complaining, grumbling, bitterness, a critical attitude Changing your attitude changes your outlook: Illustration: "Count your blessings!" That is excellent counsel, but sometimes we have to recognize them first! A man who owned a small estate wished to sell it. Sending for a real estate agent, he asked him to write an advertisement describing the house and land. When the ad was ready, the agent took it to the owner and read it to him. "Read that again," said the owner. The agent read the description of the estate once more. "I don't think I will sell after all," said the owner. "I have been looking for an estate like that all my life, and I did not know that I owned it!" Count your blessings -- yes, but start by asking God to open your eyes to see your possessions in Christ. Begin by recognizing all that you have in Christ. That will change your entire perspective and enable you to praise God for what you have. Illustration: It is said that in Africa there is a fruit called the "taste berry", because it changes a person's taste so that everything eaten tastes sweet and pleasant. Sour fruit, even if eaten several hours after the "taste berry," becomes sweet and delicious. Gratitude is the "taste berry" of Christianity, and when our hearts are filled with gratitude, nothing that God sends us seems unpleasant to us. Sorrowing heart, sweeten your grief with gratitude. Burdened soul, lighten your burden by singing God's praises. Disappointed one, dispel your loneliness by making others grateful. Sick one, grow strong in soul, thanking God that He loves you enough to chasten you. Keep the "taste berry" of gratitude in your hearts, and it will do for you what the "taste berry" of Africa does for the African. 4. It involves giving thanks to Jesus. Some translations (KJV, NASB) use "thanks", some use "confess" (NIV,NRSV) Hebrews 13:15-NIV_NRSV Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-- the fruit of lips that confess his name. * Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. HEB 13:15 NASB Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. The word in the Greek is the word we usually associate with confession. 3670 homologeo {hom-ol-og-eh'-o} 1) to say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent 2) to concede 2a) not to refuse, to promise 2b) not to deny 2b1) to confess 2b2) declare 2b3) to confess, i.e. to admit or declare one's self guilty of what one is accused of 3) to profess 3a) to declare openly, speak out freely 3b) to profess one's self the worshipper of one 4) to praise, celebrate RWP: (homologount“n t“i onomati autou). This use of homologe“ with the dative in the sense of praise like exomologe“ is unique, though the papyri furnish examples in the sense of gratitude (Moulton and Milligan, _Vocabulary_). Whether you want to translate it as "confess" of "give thanks", the point is still the same, it's to Jesus that we make our praise. We're not talking mere positive attitude. Some people are big on telling people to cheer up and put on a happy face. This isn't happiness for the sake of happiness, it's happiness because of Jesus. :16 do good and communicate ... such sacrifices God is well pleased Hebrews 13:16-NIV And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. New Sacrifice #2: Doing good and sharing with others Do good It means just what it says, to do good Communicate - an interesting word RWP: {To communicate} (koin“nias). Genitive case. See #2Co 9:13| for use for contribution, beneficence. 2842 koinonia {koy-nohn-ee'-ah} 1) fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse 1a) the share which one has in anything, participation 1b) intercourse, fellowship, intimacy 1b1) the right hand as a sign and pledge of fellowship (in fulfilling the apostolic office) 1c) a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, as exhibiting an embodiment and proof of fellowship It could be talking about fellowship, sharing in the lives of other people, but probably talking about the sharing involved in helping meet other people's needs, maybe even financially. God would rather have our obedience (do good) than our trying to pay for our sins. 1Samuel 15:22-AV And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams. Jeremiah 7:22-24 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: 23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. 24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels [and] in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. When we do these kinds of sacrifices, God is well-pleased He's not just happy about it, He's really, very well happy about it. Note: Just as praise was a sacrifice in verse 15, now we see doing good and sharing as a sacrifice. Doing good things and helping others isn't always going to come easy. There's going to be plenty of time when it's really a sacrifice. In other words, it's going to hurt. Here's a tip to be careful about: Matthew 6:1-4 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest [thine] alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. Illustration: David Livingstone wrote in his journal on one occasion concerning his "selfless" life: People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paying back a small part of the great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay? Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind and a bright hope of glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. -- Giving and Living, by Samuel Young, Baker Book House, p.71