Speaker: Rob Berreth

Scripture: Hebrews 12:18-29

Episode Overview:

In Hebrews 13:1–3, the author moves from the truths of who Jesus is to the commands that flow from His grace. This sermon explores how genuine faith expresses itself through love—love for our brothers and sisters in Christ, love for strangers, and love for those who are suffering or sidelined. As we reflect on the deep, initiating love of Jesus—the One who welcomed us when we were strangers and suffered for us when we were lost—we find both the motivation and power to live lives pleasing to God. True worship is not confined to songs or services, but seen in everyday acts of love rooted in the gospel.

Key Highlights:

• The Gospel’s Grammar: God’s commands (imperatives) are always grounded in His finished work (indicatives). We love because Christ first loved us.

• Brotherly Love Continues: The mark of a true disciple is enduring, family-like love within the church.

• Hospitality to Strangers: Biblical hospitality extends beyond comfort or reciprocity—it welcomes those outside our circle just as Christ welcomed us.

• Remembering the Sidelined: God calls us to identify with and care for the suffering, the forgotten, and the persecuted, just as Jesus did.

• Pleasing and Serving God: When we love others, we not only please the heart of God but serve Christ Himself.

Call to Action:

Ask God to open your eyes this week to someone you can love sacrificially—whether it’s a brother or sister who needs encouragement, a stranger who needs welcome, or someone suffering who needs to be remembered. Let your acts of love be an offering of worship, pleasing to the Lord who first loved you.

Redeemer Church
211 Northshore Dr. Bellingham, WA 98226
www.redeemernw.org