Let Brotherly Love Continue

 Temple Baptist Church - 4-7-2024

Hebrews 13:1

 

Introduction:

 

A.  Chapter 13 is the “capstone” of the Book of Hebrews. 

 

1.  As all Hebrew Christian Epistles, the Book of Hebrews is a transitional book. 

 

2.  By interpretation, the Book of Hebrews is written to the Jewish believer. 

 

1 Peter 1:1  Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

 

3.  By application, the Book of Hebrews is written to every believer.

 

B.  It helped the Jewish believers transition:

 

1.  From the Old Covenant to the New Covenant

 

2.  From Law to Grace

 

3.  From Mount Saini to Mount Zion

 

4.  From “DO” to “Done”

 

5.  From Atonement to Propitiation

 

6.  From the Temple to the Local Church

 

7.  From the Levitical Priesthood to the Individual Priesthood of the Believer

 

8.  From the Mediation of Moses to the Mediation of Christ

 

9.  From Individualism to Corporatism. 

 

10.  From Abraham’s Bosom to Heaven

 

C.  Chapter 13 is all about the unity and innerworkings of the local church and the individual responsibilities within the body to each other, to the pastor, and to the church.   Paul begins this chapter with the “tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.”  The spiritual “glue” that holds together the individual pieces, believers, into a single piece, the local church.

 

Hebrews 13:1  Let brotherly love continue.  (Let or let not!  Let means to allow something to take place that would not naturally occur.)

 

1.  In order to continue in love, you must start in love. 

 

1 John 4:7-8  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  (8)  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

 

1 John 5:1  Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

 

a.  So many profession believers have no real desire to be close to those who possess salvation.  You can tell by their desire to assemble or lack thereof.  You can tell by their distancing or closeness.

 

b.  They come to church because they feel that they must to be right with God but have no love for the church nor its people.

 

c.  “Have you started right?” is a question that needs to be answered as eternity hinges on it.

 

D. Temple Baptist Church cannot have unity, nor can it survive without Christian love permeating its pews.  The Bible says so much about this love that must continue so, let’s let God define brotherly love for us.

 

John 13:34-35  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  (35)  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

 

John 15:17  These things I command you, that ye love one another.

 

Acts 2:1  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

 

Acts 2:46-47  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,  (47)  Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

 

Acts 4:32  And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

 

Romans 12:9-10  Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.  (10)  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

 

Galatians 5:13  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:9  But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

 

2 Thessalonians 1:3  We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

 

1 Peter 1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

 

1 Peter 3:8-9  Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:  (9)  Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

 

1 Peter 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

 

2 Peter 1:5-8  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;  (6)  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;  (7)  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.  (8)  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

1 John 2:7-10  Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.  (8)  Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.  (9)  He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.  (10)  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

 

E.  Brotherly love is also found in the word charity. 

 

1 John 4:7-8, 12  (3) Beloved, let us love one another: (1) for love is of God; and (8)  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love ...  (12)  No man hath seen God at any time. (2)  If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

 

1.  Brotherly love issues from God – “for love is of God”

 

2.  Brotherly love is instilled in the believer by God – “If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”

 

3.  Brotherly love must be maintained by the believer – “Beloved, let us love one another:”

 

F.  Brotherly love must be a universal love, a consistent love, an overlooking love, an equal love of the brethren. 

 

1.  Brotherly love has nothing to do with social status.

 

2.  Brotherly love has nothing to do with financial clout.

 

3.  Brotherly love has nothing to do with ethnicity.

 

4.  Brotherly love has nothing to do with gender.

 

5.  Brotherly love has nothing to do with faithfulness.

 

6.  Brotherly love is uniform from the pulpit to the pew.  From the pew to the pulpit.  From the back pew to the front pew. 

 

G.  1 Corinthians gives a Biblical definition of Charity or Brotherly Love.  I will not take the time to do a verse by verse exposition of chapter 13 but will give you the gist of it.  Brotherly love is the binding love of the brethren.  It is what holds the local church together. 

 

1.  Charity is longsuffering.

 

2.  Charity is kind.

 

3.  Charity is unselfish.

 

4.  Charity behaves itself.

 

5.  Charity is overlooking.

 

6.  Charity hates evil but not the sinner.

 

7.  Charity loves in truth.

 

H.  Brotherly love is an unfailing love.  Times change but biblical charity endures.

 

1.  In 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, Paul names three remaining gifts: faith, hope and charity.

 

1 Corinthians 13:13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

 

2.  The greatest of the three remaining gifts is charity: brotherly love.  Our faith and our hope are anchored in the greatest of the three, Charity.

 

3.  Over these past 37 years, we have had a multitude of people come THROUGH our church.  We were not what they were looking for!  Our church has endured a lot of things: trials, division, etc.  BUT our church has endured because of its love for Christ and love for one another!

 

4.  “LET BROTHERLY LOVE CONTINUE!”  I do not know what the future holds for Temple Baptist Church, but I do know that our love for Christ and each other will carry us through whatever comes our way.

 

a)  Let means that brotherly love may or may not continue.  Think about it.

 

b)  Let means that we, each one of us, has control of brotherly love’s continuance.

 

c)  A lack of unity or division is an enemy of brotherly love’s continuance so each of us has a job to do.

 

1 Peter 1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: