2022-Q1-L13

2022-Q1-L13: Let Brotherly Love Continue

Read for This Week’s Study: Hebrews 13, Rom. 12:13, Eph. 5:3–5, 1 Pet. 5:1–4, Heb. 2:9, Heb. 4:16, Gal. 2:20.

Memory Text: “Let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1).

Notes from 3ABN

1 John 3:14: We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

What the world needs now is love sweet love. It's the only thing that there's just too little of. What the world needs now is love, sweet love. No not just for some, but for everyone. —Jackie DeShannon.

The problem with the world is that it mistakes Christian love with self-love, self-exaltation—pride and selfishness dominate. Everything is centered on me and mine. (Elaborate further through the lesson.)

Jesus did everything for us—as Hebrews speaks of—and we should follow his example.

Remember the mistreated—prisoners.

Hebrews 12:15-17: See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

Those who reject the grace of God manifest one or more of these three root problems: bitterness, sexual immorality and temporal values.

Bitterness. Don't like the church, don't like the government, don't like their neighbors, their children, their wife. They are critical of everyone and bitter.

Sexual immorality is manifest in a mirade of ways: adultery, fornication, polygamy, rape, incest, homosexuality, beastiality, nudity, prostitution, pornography (Greek, porneia, #4202), gender confusion, etc.

Temporal values manifest in materialism, hoarding, life centered around the love of money, stealing, covetousness, never having enough, etc.

[Jump to Monday's lesson]. Discusses sexual immorality and covetousness. There is a connection between them.

1 John 2:15-17: Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life[c]—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Our world, particularly American society has become over sexualized. The majority of Americans (65-75%) believe it is not a moral issue to have premarital sex. The majority of Americans believe the LGBT (lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgender) movement is OK.

God allows destruction to come upon a people who reach the "pinnacle" of sexual corruption. Think of Sodom and Gomorrah, Pompeii (Mount Vesuvius), the antediluvian world, the neighboring nations of ancient Israel. It is not the only reason, but a major contributor. Why? Because it defaces the image of God of which man was created.

Genetic manipulation is part of this corruption. Tampering with the genetic code in man, animals and plants, which has been going on for several decades now, is reaching the end of God's tolerance. Judgment is virtually guaranteed at this time. The vaccines of today are not vaccines but experimental genetic "therapeutics."

Statistics on divorce. 41% of all first marriages end in divorce; 60% of all second marriages; 73% of all third marriages. Over two million (approximately 2.5 million) per year.

Covetousness is preached, if and when one preaches the prosperity gospel.

Matthew 19:23-24 (Phillips): Then Jesus remarked to his disciples, “Believe me, a rich man will find it very difficult to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Yes, I repeat, a camel could more easily squeeze through the eye of a needle than a rich man get into the kingdom of God!”

Matthew 6:21: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Notes from Hinsdale/Emmanuel

Christianity is communal. That is, hospitality, visiting those in prison.

Sexual immorality is self-love. You cannot love others when your focus is on self.

Hospitality is about helping/serving others. Sexual immorality and covetousness is about serving ourselves.

SUNDAY. Caring for God’s People

Hebrews 13:1–2 (ESV): 13 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Romans 12:13 (ESV): 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

1 Timothy 3:2 (ESV): 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

Titus 1:8 (ESV): 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.

1 Peter 4:9 (ESV): 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Notes:

Hospitality is one of the key was to show love.

Hospitality is also suffering with other believers.

MONDAY. Covetousness and Sexual Immorality.

Hebrews 13:4–5 (ESV): 4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Luke 16:10–18 (ESV): 10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” 14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. 16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void. 18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

1 Corinthians 5:1 (ESV): 5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife.

Ephesians 5:3–5 (ESV): 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Colossians 3:5 (ESV): 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

From the lesson: Paul’s call to honor marriage implied the avoidance of anything that would belittle it. This avoidance included abstaining both from violation of the marriage oath and from unwarranted divorces (compare with Matt. 19:9). The exhortation to keep the marriage bed undefiled refers to avoiding the profanation of marriage through sexual relationships outside of marriage. The expression “fornicators” refers in the New Testament to every form of sexual immorality (1 Cor. 5:9-11; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10; Eph. 5:5; 1 Tim. 1:9, 10; Rev. 21:8; Rev. 22:15). In addition, Greco-Roman society was lax in regard to sexual ethics. A double standard was common; this allowed men license in their sexual relationships as long as they were discreet. Paul warns, however, that God will judge adulterers. Believers should not let social conventions establish their own ethical standards.

Notes:

The problem with talking about the problem of sexual immorality is that it is generally taboo to talk about it in Christian circles. Yet, the Bible has a lot to say about it.

TUESDAY. Remember Your Leaders

Hebrews 13:7–17 (ESV): 7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

From the lesson: For Paul, the greatest act of remembrance and praise is emulation.

WEDNESDAY. Beware of Diverse and Strange Teachings

Hebrews 13:9 (ESV): 9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.

Hebrews 2:9 (ESV): 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Hebrews 4:16 (ESV): 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 6:19–20 (ESV): 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

THURSDAY. Go to Jesus Outside the Camp

Hebrews 13:10–14 (ESV): 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.

Mark 8:34 (ESV): 34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Matthew 10:38 (ESV): 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Luke 14:27 (ESV): 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Galatians 2:20 (ESV): 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

FRIDAY. Further Thought: Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 547, 548.