Hebrews 13:7-14 Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Don’t be led astray by various kinds of strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established by grace and not by food regulations, since those who observe them have not benefited. We have an altar from which those who worship at the tabernacle do not have a right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the most holy place by the high priest as a sin offering are burned outside the camp. Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, so that he might sanctify the people by his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing his disgrace. For we do not have an enduring city here; instead, we seek the one to come. Big Idea: Christ never changes. So trust His grace and bear His reproach. Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God is Immutable - God does not change. He cannot learn. He is constant always. Hebrews 13:9 Don’t be led astray by various kinds of strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established by grace and not by food regulations, since those who observe them have not benefited. Where are we tempted to add to grace? Do you think you can’t come to God because you haven’t done something specific? What are we quietly trusting in alongside Christ? Do we actually believe that grace alone establishes the heart, or are we still trying to finish the job ourselves? Hebrews 13:10 We have an altar from which those who worship at the tabernacle do not have a right to eat. 1 Corinthians 10:18–21 Consider the people of Israel. Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? What am I saying then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but I do say that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons! You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons. We may want Christ, but we also want our sin. So we say: “I am a Christian, but I cuss a little.” “I am a Christian, but I still tell inappropriate jokes.” “I trust Christ to take care of me, but I still check my horoscope.” “I believe life is precious, but still advocate for a woman’s right to an abortion.” “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” John Owen, The Mortification of Sin Hebrews 13:11–12 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the most holy place by the high priest as a sin offering are burned outside the camp. Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, so that he might sanctify the people by his own blood. Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. Hebrews 13:13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing his disgrace. 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Galatians 1:10 For am I now trying to persuade people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Hebrews 13:14 For we do not have an enduring city here; instead, we seek the one to come. Do we live like people who have no enduring city here, or do we live like people whose whole hope is in this one? Do we not invite people to church or have gospel conversations with people because we care more about their approval? Or even worse, do we live like we don’t actually care? Do we end up not inviting people to church because we don’t see the urgency or importance? “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” C.S Lewis Are we willing to endure some social discomfort, some social disgrace, to follow after the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Creator of the universe, and tell people that He is the only thing worth pursuing in this world? Or would we rather be liked by the people around us?