Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

 Sermon Text: Hebrews 13:1-6

 Other Readings: Amos 6:1-7 and Luke 16:19-31

 



  1. When you are part of a congregation, you have brothers and sisters who will “keep on loving” you with Christlike love. What does that mean to you personally?

  2. In verse 3, the writer mentions prisoners. What kind of prisoners does the writer probably have in mind? Confer Hebrews 11:35-38.

  3. How does our Gospel Reading from Luke 16:19-31 illustrate the danger of not heeding the command in verse 5: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.”?

  4. Verse 6 of our text assures, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” In what way(s) did God prove to be the helper of Lazarus, the poor man from Luke 16:19-31?

  5. Explain how Holy Communion is a powerful assurance that God is keeping his promise, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (v. 5).

 

 

  1. Answers will vary based on personal perspectives. May God’s people be a blessing to you and encourage you in your faith, especially when you are facing challenges!
  2. He probably has in mind fellow believers who have been imprisoned for their faith. The recipients of this letter were undergoing persecution.
  3. The rich man so loved and trusted in his wealth and possessions, that he saw no reason to look to God for physical or spiritual blessings. This unbelief and impenitence led him straight to hell.
  4. Ultimately, God helped Lazarus cross over from physical death into the comforts of heaven. God preserved this man’s trust in God’s words and promises.
  5. In Holy Communion, Jesus Christ, who is God himself, comes to us in his true body and blood. Jesus Christ’s real presence in the sacrament is proof that he is with us and assures us that our sins are forgiven