REMEMBER…..

Hebrews 13:1-8

l. Bob Hope’s theme song, Thanks for the Memory, may seem appropriate for a beginning. Memories are fun. The memory has a way of playing with us sometimes. For instance when you are reminiscing, what comes to your mind. Do you remember the time you gave someone a piece of your mind and almost went bankrupt. When you are thinking over the past do you have to squelch the bad memories--the fast dollar you made, or the attempt to seduce someone, or cheat someone? Are you inclined to remember just the bad stuff? There's not much  thankfulness in remembering those. Bob Hope's theme song, thanks for the memories would be like singing thanks for the heartaches and tears.

2. There is a second subject of memories and we are inclined to think on these a lot easier, although there may not be as many of them. I can think back to helping a couple save their marriage and it makes me glad to think of their happy home now.

Do you have memories of helping a child who needed love because he had no father, or mother. Do you have memories of helping the down and out get up and make something of themselves? Do you have memories of teaching a class over the years and seeing your students grow up in faith in Christ? We could
go on to happy memories. It would be nice if these were the only kind we have. But sadly for myself, I have to say I am sorry for bad memories---memories of things I have done to people. Memories that make me ask myself--am I really that kind of person--and I  quickly say, I don't want to be.

3. These memories are past. There is not much that they can do except rise up and condemn us, or haunt us, or make us glad that we were obedient. In our Scripture today, there is another type of memory at work. Rather than talking about a noun, the memory or remembered object or deed, there is  a verb: remember. This remembering is more active and significant.  It means to bring to your mind an awareness in order to do something about the thing remembered; "to remember one in order to care for him. The word remember occurs several times in our text (3,7) either positively or negatively. The word is implied in some other statements.

4. Let's look at this briefly and see what we can do in
remembering.

I. Remember to love one another. 1.

1. The Greek word here is Philadelphia...brotherly love.  This is the kind of love that should permeate a group of people committed to Christ. This love is seen more readily among some of you, than with others. The larger the church the  less chance there is for expressing and experiencing love from the total group. But let's try to place the area of love in a smaller group like a Sunday Schoo1 class. In a Sunday School class there are people we enjoy more than others. In fact, we might say, I want to know only certain ones of the class, but I'm not really interested in getting to know the others. But our passages does not say: let brotherly love continue toward those you like, and don‘t worry about the ones you don't like.

2. Brotherly love can be enlarged if you want it to be that way. There was once a person I did not really warm up to in our church. We had different interests. He was meticulous and I'm not. He was picky and I'm not generally. There were
other differences which could be enumerated. I had some Christian responsibility to him, but I wasn't interested in fulfilling it. I would have been happy to appreciate him at a distance, but this was not possible. What I had to do was find something about the man on which I could build some basis of friendship, I learned to appreciate him for his ability and his contribution and place in the life of the
church. We are friends, not close friends, but I did have occasion to help him as he also helped me. I could have built my feelings on the differences alone. I could have dwelled on his faults. We are inclined to do this. Brotherly love means that we learn to appreciate the person for his abilities--which are his and cannot be changed.

3. But brotherly love means more than this. Brotherly love means to be helpful and concerned where there is need. I cannot imagine a Sunday School class teacher and pupils who are not concerned when one of their members doesn't show up. Brotherly love means that we know where people are, what their problems are, and attempt to help them in their heartache, their worries, their grief, their doubt and whatever else is the problem.

4. Brother love is further expressed in hospitality to strangers. Ancient inns and hotels were usually infected with prostitutes and robbers. Thus, Christians who traveled usually depended upon the hospitality of their believers. While this is related to Christian travels, there is a need of hospitality. One of the old Baptists around Hillsboro described how the Mennonites practiced this verse on Sunday
morning. Whenever a new person came to church, an invitation was always given for lunch or dinner. Our fast pace and busy schedule has changed a lot of these customs, but the world still needs the humanizing of Christian influences.
 

II. Remember Those in Prison v.3.

1."Remember those who are in prison as though in prison with them; and those who are ill-treated, since you also are in the body."
This is a very simple point--There are many people in prison because of their faith today as was the case in the writing of this book. There are many suffering for their faith as was the case. Note two different examples:  first, in the land locked republic of Africa, called Chad, a pagan rite called Yondo has been instituted
as a rite to bring national pride. Yondo is an initiation rite involving floggings, facial scarring, mock burials, drugging, and ingeniously gruesome tests of stamina, like crawling naked thru a nest of termites. More serious is the fact that a black Christian evangelist was sewed  up inside a tom-tom and starved to death while drummers pounded incessantly on the skin top.

The bodies of several other Christians have been found buried up to their necks in sand with swarming ants.  According to some reports, more than 130 native Protestant pastors and lay church leaders have been assassinated since last November. Chad is a long  way from here. But remembering those who are ill-treated certainly involves us in prayer for them as well as   political activity of writing letters to our Representatives.

The other examples comes to mind-especially after hearing  Dr. Linder recently--in the Russian situation.   An example can be seen in the book,  One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. One of the character is a man named Alyoshka, who is a Baptist. He was from Southeastern Europe. His sentence was for 2 years. What was his crime? Simply praying to God. For that he got 2 years. Many of you remember  professor Linder’s comments on being a Baptist. There was no dirtier word to call people than being a Baptist. Only God knows how many are in prison and in desperate conditions because of tyranny.

Russia is a long way and we seem so remote to an answer to these problems. But fellow Christians around the world need our prayers. Again if political pressure is possible for easier  emigration of Jews, what can we do about Christian being persecuted everywhere.

2. Those in prison have a new dimension today. I've never been in jail or prison. I don't know what it is like, but all that it is not good. I am no expert in this area, but there are people who are greatly concerned about  the reclamation and redemption of those in prison. A lady south of Emporia has been concerned in this way and she has regularly corresponded with some prisoners and is helping others in parole, and seeking to bring Jesus Christ into their lives.  This may be something that some of you can do.  Do you have time to write a letter, either to a prisoner, or a representative.

3. Do remember those in prison and those who are suffering for their faith.

III. Remember your leaders v.7.

l. "Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God: consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith." Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The words "consider the outcome of their life" literally mean
the manner of their leaving life, or the spirit of their dying. Imitate  their faith and the possibilities of imitation is found in the encouraging words that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. You can have his presence in any age.  The phrase of v.8 is 8 often misused to indicate that God doesn't change in any way. He doesn't but he is  not static in his dealing with us personally. The words
however, are not to be isolated from the leaders who lived and died for Him.

2. In a country with freedom, your spiritual leaders have different problems. We do not face the threat of prison each day. But the ministry suffers from a loss of
wholeness. Each year many potential pastors give up the ministry because of many reasons: (l) divorce--the demands of the modern church leave little room for a family, (2) financial problems-- while you offer your pastor a living wage, many smaller churches do not, and churches are inclined to believe that the smaller the church salary, the more spiritual the leader. (3)Emotional stress, the pastor has many hats he must wear. At 2 p.m. on Saturday he performs a marriage while at 4 p.m. he may be in the intensive care room of the hospital with someone who is dying. (4) frustration--attempting to keep peace in a church family can be very trying. Church members have their own hobbies and interest that they like to promote in church as well as pastors. (5) Loss of spiritual vision. The daily routine
of administration  has cause many to lose the basic reason of the ministry--ministering to people who need help.
With the coming of your new spiritual leader, remember him in prayer. Ask God to help you develop helpful attitudes in working with him.

3. There are yet examples of leaders who suffer because of their stand for the Gospel and righteousness. This week’s CT (Nov. 22 l974,p.64) carries two stories! (l. In Philadelphia six black leaders were under the threat of their lives. The Black Mafia had issued contracts for their deaths because  these people had put  the spot-light on the drug traffic in Philadelphia, and one of the mobsters' leaders had been arrested. Our Scripture says, remember with concern your leaders. (2) The other example in Romania who circulated a paper on Romans, chapter l. in which he charged Marx and Lenin with attempting to produce a "bitter" man who was ideologically prepared for revolution. After the revolution, the atheism of the regime continued to produce the same kind of man:” desperate, bitter, greedy.

Joseph Ton asserted that Only Christ can produce the New man. On Oct.4th,l974, seven men came to his house, confiscated his  books, papers, and sermon notes. The move usually signals an impending arrest. Ton's paper has been read widely
among leaders, students and faculty, but it could mean prison for him.  If it means prison, then what? His reply: "There is harvest already. We go to this trial rejoicing we were found worthy to suffer.

I am thankful that we have not had to suffer. There is no guarantee that we won't in the future, but at present we need to pray for our leaders that they may be faithful to Christ, to his Word, and have the wisdom, patience, and love to put up with us.

Conclusion:
1. There are many other words of exhortation in the passage but I would like to conclude with two thoughts.
          A. Verse  18 says, on the part of the writer, "pray for us..."and I think that this is a fervent request on the part of my wife. We would appreciate your prayerful concern as we conclude this interim ministry.

          B. I would then ask: is this a life-style that is not a part of your life? What about the genuine concern of love that is depicted here--love one another.  Have
you given your heart to Christ? Does his love well up in your life? Do you heed to receive him as Savior? Then, there is the question about the depth of your
Christian life? How much paganism are you trying to retain in your life as a Christian? How much pessimisms and negativism are you carrying around with you?

2. In light of these questions you may want to declare your life for Jesus Christ. As a Christian you may want to renew your covenant with these people here.
Come as we sing together.