Year 6, Day 117: Hebrews 13

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Up, In, Out

• Up: Up is the word we use for what we worship.  If we are following God’s will, God will occupy the Up position.  Our life, our identity, our mission, our family on mission is all derived from Up.  This is why God needs to be in our Up position.
• In: This is the word we use to express our relationships with our spiritual family.  These are often the people who hold us spiritually accountable.  They are the ones to whom we typically go for discussion and discernment.  These are the ones with whom we learn to share leadership.  They are the ones with whom we become family on mission.
• Out: This is the focus of our mission.  These are the people to whom God has called us to go.  These are the people into whom we are focused on attempting to speak God’s truth.

Hebrews 13 is packed full of goodness.  In truth, I could probably study Hebrews 13 for a full month and not honestly get through every point that I could make.  That being said, I decided that I couldn’t narrow it down to less than three points.

First, we start with Out because this is where the author of Hebrews starts.  Notice what he says.  Continue your hospitality.  Be with people who are imprisoned.  In other words, continue your mission.  Keep reaching people.  Keep showing love to your neighbors.  Keep demonstrating the nature of God to the people with whom you come into contact.

The author of Hebrews then moves into the In.  Remember your leaders.  Remember those who speak faith into your life.  Remember those who train you in the faith.  Imitate them.  Don’t be led astray from their foundational teaching.

The author then moves us into the place where we should both begin and end: In.  Remember Christ.  Through Jesus we have an invitation to a feast to which we have no right to go.  (Of course, recognize that after talking about Christ the author of Hebrews brings us once more through a focus of Out and In.)  But then we have the conclusion of God.  God brings us peace.  God is our Shepherd.  God equips us.  He deserves our praise.  He deserves our worship.  He should be our focus.

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