TITLE: The Believers Book of Social Etiquette TEXT: Hebrews 12:1-6 THEME: The believer’s social responsibility should model God's Love

In our spiritual journey should not get the cart before the horse

How is the believer to live in light of the new covenant?

I.He has the responsibility of being loving and caring. (1-3)

Hebrews 13:1-3 1 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:1-3 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

I.He has the responsibility of being loving and caring. (1-3) A. To fellow believers- It is the Greek word “Philadelphia” translated “brotherly love”.

I.He has the responsibility of being loving and caring. (1-3) A. To fellow believers- It is the Greek word “Philadelphia” translated “brotherly love”. B. To strangers-

Romans 12: “10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

I.He has the responsibility of being loving and caring. (1-3) A. To Fellow believers- It is the Greek word “Philadelphia” translated “brotherly love”. B. To Strangers. C. To Prisoners. (3)

Manacci "You just never know what the day brings you and you never know, you never know, what small thing you will do that will result in a miracle."

How is the believer to live in light of the new covenant?

II.He is responsible to practice sexual control. (4)

Hebrews 13:4 4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

II.He is responsible to practice sexual control. (4) A. The honor of marriage

II.He is responsible to practice sexual control. (4) A. The honor of marriage B. The shame of immorality

Alain de Botton, “Religion for Atheists: A Non-Believer's Guide to the Uses of Religion” “Only religions … see [sex] as something potentially dangerous and needing to be guarded against. Perhaps only after killing many hours online at youporn.com can we appreciate that on this one point [Christianity] has got it right

Alain de Botton, Religion for Atheists: A Non-Believer's Guide to the Uses of Religion “Sex and sexual images can overwhelm our higher rational faculties with depressing ease. [Christians] are often mocked for being prudish, but they wouldn't judge sex to be quite so bad if they didn't also understand that it could be rather wonderful.”

Romans 1:21-25 “21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

Romans 1:21-25 “24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.”

How is the believer to live in light of the new covenant?

III.He is responsible to be spiritually confident. (5-6)

Hebrews 13:5-6 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Ephesians 5:1-6 1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God

Ephesians 5:1-6 3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

Ephesians 5:1-6 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God

Ephesians 5:1-6 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.

III.He is responsible to be spiritually confident. (5-6) A. Avoid confidence in money.

III.He is responsible to be spiritually confident. (5-6) A. Avoid confidence in money. B. Pursue confidence in God.

Sam Polk “I came to realize I had been using money as this thing that would quell all my fears. So I had this belief that maybe someday I would get enough money that I would no longer be scared … I would feel successful. And one of the things I learned on Wall Street was no matter how much money I made, the money was never going to do it.”

APPLICATION Evangelicals are often portrayed as hateful and close-minded because of their view that sex is confined to marriage between and a woman and because they believe in the authority of scripture. But the same faith that calls us to live pure lives is the same faith that moves us to care for others.

John Marks “I would argue that this was a watershed moment in the history of American Christianity … nothing spoke more eloquently to believers, and to nonbelievers who were paying attention, than the success of a population of believing volunteers measured against the massive and near-total collapse of secular government efforts.”

John Marks “The storm laid bare an unmistakable truth. More and more Christians have decided that the only way to reconquer America is through service. The faith no longer travels by the word. It moves by the deed.”