SUNDAY SERMON - Gospel Fruit in Pastors and Congregations ｜ Hebrews 13_17-19
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Summary
Join us in Hebrews 13:17-19 as we continue our study of the book of Hebrews. Hebrews is the fourth chapter in the Hebrew epistle to the Epistle of Daniel. In Hebrews, the Apostle Paul is described as a "preacher, a teacher, and a teacher of the Word of God." He is also described as "a man of God's Word" and a "prayer warrior."
Transcript
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Good morning, Covenant Bible Church. It's good to be here with you all this morning.
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For those of you who don't know me, my name is Connor, and I serve as a lay elder here at the
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church. Many of you may be familiar with me when it comes time to lead worship through song,
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and it's such a great joy to me to do that. It's been a while since I've last preached
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and I'm excited to get to do so this morning. My family and I consider it a great pleasure
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to have gotten to know so many new faces and families and to worship alongside you all each
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Lord's Day as our church has grown. Without further ado, we'll jump right in. If you have
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your Bibles in front of you or a copy of the notes, please direct your attention to the text
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at hand. This week's text is Hebrews chapter 13, verses 17 through 19. Once more, that's Hebrews
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chapter 13, verses 17 through 19. And as is our tradition here at Covenant Bible Church,
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would you stand with me as I read the text? When I conclude reading it, I will say, this is the
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word of the Lord. And as a congregation, I'll ask that we respond by saying, thanks be to God.
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And so this is once more Hebrews chapter 13, verses 17 through 19.
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Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account.
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Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
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Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.
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in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.
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We thank you, God, that we are gathered here this morning
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We come to you joyful and grateful, knowing that our King has risen from the dead as a firstfruits.
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And we look to him, we praise him, and we honor him, and we thank you for giving us to your church.
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Father, as we consider your word this morning, I pray first of all for myself, Lord.
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Please help me to preach your word faithfully and honorably to your church this morning.
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I pray for the members of Covenant Bible Church
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Lord, please bless them with ears and with eyes
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And we pray as well, Lord, just that through the preached word
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that you would be honored and blessed this morning.
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If you've worshiped with us over the last few weeks, you may recognize this is the fourth week
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that we will be spending in Hebrews chapter 13. Pastor Joel mentioned it last week and this
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morning, but as this chapter draws to a close, so too does the book of Hebrews. Next week will
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be the final week that we spend in the book of Hebrews before we conclude the epistle.
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I pray that our time in the epistle has been as enriching and encouraging to you as it has been
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to me and to my family. If you haven't noticed it up until this point, the apostle changes his
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focus in the epistle in chapter 13 in comparison to the rest of the letter. Having laid out the
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primary theological and doctrinal matters over the prior 12 chapters, the apostle begins to
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apply these matters to Christian living in chapter 13. This isn't to say that he hasn't done so
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elsewhere or at other times in the letter, but this closing chapter is especially concerned
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with the various applications of Christian theology and doctrine.
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the apostle is not content with leaving the matter settled at the 10,000-foot level,
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where only the pietist or the seminary-educated could understand
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or grasp the truth of the matter and its implications.
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the apostle seeks to bring about a deep understanding of God's truth
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and how it ought to be adopted and applied in every theater or arena that the Christian may
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find himself or herself in. This is uniquely apparent in the text before us today because
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this text, more than any that we have seen, I might argue, reveals the apostle's pastoral heart.
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In fact, I'm convinced that this text reveals to us that the apostle is himself a pastor,
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a shepherd of sheep. And I think that will become more apparent to you as we continue in our study
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of this portion of God's word this morning. If we needed any more evidence to bolster the case
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that the Apostle Paul is the author of the book of Hebrews, we could add to it this. In these words,
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the author reveals to us that he is, in fact, a pastor with a unique love for the Hebrew
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Christians that he writes to. If that doesn't sound like the Apostle Paul, then I don't know
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what does. But anyway, I digress. So if you were here with us last week, you may remember that
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Pastor Joel preached from Hebrews chapter 13, verses 7 through 16. Much of that sermon focused
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on the apostles' appeal to God's grace in Christ, which strengthens the heart of the believer,
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unlike the diverse and strange teachings which have no benefit in the new covenant.
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By these diverse and strange teachings, the apostle primarily refers to the traditions
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and doctrines of men which were added to the true laws and observances which were fulfilled
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Pastor Joel helped us to see that the apostle again warns his hearers of the dangers of
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returning to Judaism, especially those practices and observances which had no root in Christ
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but were instituted by hypocrites, as he taught us.
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For the sake of your tradition, you have made void the word of God, Matthew chapter 15, verse 6.
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In this warning, we see the particular danger of returning not to the Old Testament observances,
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which would lead any true follower of Christ to see their fulfillment in him,
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but in those that were rooted in sin, in hypocrisy.
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Here, the apostle reminds his hearers of the grace that is theirs in Christ Jesus,
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the one who their prior leaders and all the types and shadows of the old covenant pointed to.
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At the end of that text was the admonition that was found in Hebrews chapter 13 verses 15 and 16
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and I endeavor to read these to you once more to bring them to your remembrance.
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Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God that is the fruit of
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lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such
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sacrifices are pleasing to God. Christ, having fulfilled all old covenant sacrifices once and
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for all in himself, bids his sheep here to partake of gospel sacrifices. Through faith in Christ,
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we yield to him our obedience, namely our praise and acknowledgement of his glory in both word
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and deed. As we have said, these deep realities will result in love for God and love for neighbor.
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A Christian, the apostle says, will be a doer of good and quick to share his possessions in
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continuing the brotherly love and hospitality which were mentioned at the beginning of chapter 13.
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These verses are foundational and they undergird the way that we are to understand the verses that
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follow, namely the ones that are before us today, verses 17 through 19 in chapter 13.
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When God saves a sinner, the gospel of Jesus Christ takes root in that person's heart
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and transforms him or her from the inside out. That person begins to look more like Christ
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in the realm of thoughts, affections, desires, and actions. This will have a lasting effect
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on the way that person perceives the world, the manner in which he carries himself,
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and the attitude that he adopts in his relationships. One such application of the
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gospel's outworking the apostle states is found in the church, particularly in their relationship
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between a pastor and his congregants. What sorts of gospel sacrifices is the minister called to
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make out of love for his congregation? And moreover, what sorts of gospel sacrifices
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is the congregation called to make out of love for their pastor.
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These are the sorts of questions and applications
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that the apostle seeks to address to us in these verses.
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I believe this text is of incredible value to us.
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three primary points found in the scriptures before us.
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The first is humble submission and joyful oversight
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The second is prayer from a clear conscience, which is found in verse 18.
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And the third is the urgency of the matter, found in verse 19.
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As we consider what the scriptures have to say about this relationship between a pastor
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and his congregants, I pray that you will recognize what a gift from God faithful shepherds
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Grateful, gospel-cherishing hearts will motivate us to action on behalf of our pastors.
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And lastly, before we begin, I would be remiss if I failed to mention how thankful I am
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to be the one preaching this sermon this morning.
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This is somewhat of a pastor appreciation sermon for me.
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As I was writing it and preparing it this week, I couldn't help being reminded of how
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thankful I am to be a student under Pastor Joel's teaching and a product of his pastoral
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When I first moved to San Diego as a young man in 2013, I would have never imagined being
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Our Lord is gracious and wise in his providence, and he certainly has been to me and now my family
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through all that Joel has courageously and humbly taught me from the pulpit, in his home,
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and through many other meetings and teaching opportunities. There's been quite a bit of solid
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material and teaching available to us as citizens of the technological age, and I know that no doubt
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many of you have benefited greatly from these types of ministries. God has used many faithful
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pastors to help me grow over the course of my Christian life, and yet many of these are men
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that I have never met. While I thank God for these men and their ministries, it is quite another
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thing entirely to be faithfully shepherded by a godly pastor week in and week out. I cannot think
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of a better way to frame this sermon than to highlight how much I and my family appreciate
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being under Pastor Joel's ministry. So without further ado, let us dive into the text before us.
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Let's consider the first point that I've highlighted. The first is humble submission
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and joyful oversight, and we'll read again verse 17. The text says, obey your leaders and submit
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to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account.
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Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
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The apostle here begins with two simple admonitions to his hearers.
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He urges them to obey and submit to their new leaders in the faith, not merely giving
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a listening ear, but to be diligent to heed their warnings and follow their instructions.
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But who were these leaders who the apostle urges the Hebrew Christians to obey?
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we would do well to consider the words of John Gill, who writes here, quote,
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not the ecclesiastical rulers among the Jews, for to these they were no longer obliged,
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they being no longer under such tutors and governors, nor civil magistrates, though it
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was their duty to obey them, even heathen ones. For as for Christian magistrates, as yet there
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were none, but their spiritual guides and governors, end quote. Here Gill distinguishes
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between a sample of leaders who may potentially hold sway over the Jewish Christians. They were
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first of all, or there were first of all, leaders of the synagogue, who the apostle expressly states
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no longer held any authority over the converted Hebrews. Being members of an entirely different
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church, the one true church even, such Hebrews reminded that their baptism into Christ was a
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baptism into his church, his body. Despite still sharing the Hebrew bloodline, they were to
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recognize that Christ's claim over them was greater than any ethnic heritage, especially
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when that heritage denied Christ and perpetuated the religious practice of diverse and strange
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teachings, which we saw in verse 9. These, said Gil, had no governance over them any longer.
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In addition, Gil illustrates that though the Hebrew Christians whom the apostle wrote to
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were subject to civil authorities, even heathen ones, this is not what was meant by these verses.
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In these verses, it is to be understood the new spiritual guides and governors whom the Hebrews
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gained through becoming members of Christ's church. Do you remember Ephesians chapter 4?
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The apostle Paul wrote there that he, God, gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists,
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the shepherds, and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the
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body of Christ, Ephesians chapter 4 verses 11 and 12. The Hebrew Christians were to understand that
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God himself provided these various officers to his church to edify and to train them for the work
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of ministry. If you remember from last week, we were introduced to a group of leaders that were
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mentioned in verse 7. I'll read verse 7 again so it's fresh in your minds. Remember your leaders,
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those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate
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their faith. These leaders here may have been the same ones that are mentioned here in verse 17,
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but there are subtle differences in these two verses that may lead us to believe that these
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two groups of leaders were in fact distinct groups. Pastor Joel faithfully taught us that
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the leaders mentioned in verse 7 were leaders who preceded the current group of Hebrew Christians
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being addressed. We know this because the apostle urges his listeners to remember them and to
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consider the outcome of their way of life. On the other hand, the leaders who are mentioned here in
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verse 17 are likely to be understood as holding current authority in the church of God. This is
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evident because the Hebrew Christians were urged not only to remember them, but to presently obey
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and submit to them. In addition, the apostle writes that these leaders were currently keeping watch
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over their souls and would one day give an account. These would have been the office holders that we
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just highlighted in Ephesians chapter 4. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers
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who were given to the church for its continued upbuilding. And so having this established who
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these leaders are, the apostle urges his leaders to obey and submit to them. The ones who he states
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are held responsible for keeping watch over their congregation souls and will ultimately have to give
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an account for their work. The apostle continues this thought with the second half of verse 17 as
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he writes, let them do this with joy and not with groaning for that would be of no advantage to you.
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The second half of the verse is particularly interesting to us because it encourages us
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and propels us to see the inherent blessing and gift that the church is to us and to our families.
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The modernists would look at such a text as this and see great violence done in the commands to
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obey and submit. How hierarchical, how domineering, they might say. But here the apostle helps his
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hearers to see that proper obedience and submission to ecclesiastical officers is of
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an advantage to you, our text says. In other words, it provides great benefit. A faithful pastor is
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used by God to make his congregants wiser, kinder, more courageous, etc. In a word, a believer becomes
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more godly through his obedience and submission to his pastor's teaching and ministry, provided
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his pastor fears God and teaches the truth. Similarly, the apostle helps us to see that
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the pastor is to complete this work with joy and not with groaning. The minister's work and
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calling is surely a weighty one. He is called to watch over souls, and yet this is a work that he
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is to do with joy and delight. Stated plainly, these truths that are laid before us in these
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scriptures lend towards a mutual satisfaction and unity in the church, joy on the part of the
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minister, and a maximization of every advantage for the congregation, God's chosen people.
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The gospel sacrifices which we have mentioned here are clearly displayed and display the
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gospel's transforming power in the dealings of the minister and his congregation.
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So how might we ask is the congregation to obey and to submit to their pastor?
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If there's anything that we have learned over the last three years, we are to obey our leaders in
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all lawful forms of authority, and this includes our pastors. We have to first recognize that powers
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are given by God to each form of authority, and this would include fathers, civil authorities,
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and pastors. Each authority must take its cues from scripture in order to learn how to rightly
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apply the authority given to it. In doing so, the authority glorifies God and causes those who are
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in submission to it to flourish. This is true of pastors. When pastors righteously wield the
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authority given to them, our text says that this leads to the congregation's advantage.
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On the other hand, when a pastor is domineering, this will likely lead to abuse, while an abdication
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of pastoral authority will likely lead to a wayward and abandoned congregation.
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So this leads us to ask then, what authority is given primarily to pastors? In Acts chapter 6,
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we see the first elders devoted to prayer and to the ministry of the word. In 1 Peter chapter 5,
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Peter writes to elders exhorting them to shepherd the flock of God that is among you,
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exercising oversight, and to be examples to the flock. In our text for this week, we see that
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pastors are to keep watch over their congregation's souls and guard them through the teaching of sound
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doctrine and the refutation of false teaching. These are but a few examples taken from scripture
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of authority that is given to a pastor. So pressing forward then, in what ways might a
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congregation be called to obey and submit to their pastor. The congregant must first hold the
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ministry of the pastor with great esteem, so long as he upholds his ministry in a godly fashion.
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This is how one should regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God,
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1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 1. The Christian must joyfully and humbly submit to his teaching
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out of love for Christ and not seek to constantly nitpick and find disagreements with his preaching
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when he exercises lawful authority as a steward of the mysteries of God. This means that the
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congregant must also seek to diligently attend to his teaching and desire to apply it to his
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or her life. Another point worth considering is that a congregant must esteem his pastor
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as one worth imitating. Brothers, join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who walk according
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to the example that you have in us. Philippians chapter 3 verse 17. First of all, this means that
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the pastor's character must be worthy of imitation, but it also means the congregant should be eager
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to listen to and follow the pastor's way of life. If you were someone who often has had the thought
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at church. I wouldn't have said it that way, or I wouldn't have done that. It may be worth examining
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if that thought is one that truly esteems your pastor. Are your eyes set on your pastor's good
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and on imitating him, or are they clouded by your own pride? Again, this presupposes that the pastor
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is wielding his God-given authority lawfully. As congregants, though, we must labor to be
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patient and make our pastor's work abound in joy, as our text states. In addition, a congregation is
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to ensure that their pastor is adequately compensated for his work. Let the one who is
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taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Galatians chapter 6, verse 6.
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And let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who
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labor and preaching and teaching. For the scripture says, you shall not muzzle an ox when it treads
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out the grain, and the laborer deserves his wages. 1 Timothy chapter 5 verses 17 and 18.
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If you are not seeking to fairly compensate your pastor within your means through the tithe,
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then you have means to repent. This is but one example of what it means to submit to God
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and the leaders that he has placed over us by compensating them fairly. Again, this is not to
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guilt you into going beyond your means or causing you to neglect your financial obligations to your
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family, but the Lord commands you to adequately compensate the one who labors over you and keeps
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watch over your soul. The last application I endeavor to make in this regard is that the
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congregation is to show loyalty to their pastor in the manner of one Cipherus. May the Lord grant
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mercy to the household of one Ciphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my
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chains. But when he arrived in Rome, he searched for me earnestly and found me. May the Lord grant
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him to find mercy from the Lord on that day. And you all know the service he rendered at Ephesus.
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2 Timothy chapter 1 verses 16 and 18. How the words of a loyal congregant make for a joyful
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minister. One way to ensure that our leaders do their work with joy is to stand by them in their
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trials, make their burdens light, and refresh them when the going gets tough. With these applications
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in mind now, we can now begin to ask the question, what gospel sacrifices is the minister to make on
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behalf of his congregation? Primarily, the minister's gospel sacrifices are the works of ministry
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that he performs on behalf of the church he pastors.
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to care for the church of God, Acts chapter 20,
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to teach what accords with sound doctrine, Titus chapter 2,
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and to be examples for the flock, 1 Peter chapter 5.
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In these duties, shepherds, like the chief shepherd,
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are to protect and provide for the flock they pastor
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and to do so with boldness, courage, humility, and joy, our text today says.
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Unfortunately, over the last few years, many pastors have failed to exercise godly oversight
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and to boldly teach and stand on sound doctrine.
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For this reason, congregations have suffered from a shallow biblical understanding,
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and have been catechized by the world and TikTok influencers
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more than they have from those who have been charged to keep watch over their souls.
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Other congregants have righteously left such churches to seek out faithful pastors
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and churches to be ministered from, sometimes miles away from their home and their communities.
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Where the gospel is neglected, its outworkings and implications too will be affected.
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When we return to the scriptures and embrace all that God has spoken for us there,
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We see the gospel take root, as we have said, and work from the inside out.
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It transforms the hearts of believers, families, and churches, including the relationship between pastors and congregants.
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Let's move on now to our second point, and this point is prayer from a clear conscience.
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And in so doing, I'll read for us again verse 18.
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Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably
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Having thus explained the outworkings of the gospel in the church between ministers and
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congregants in verse 17, the apostle now stresses the importance of prayer.
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This is crucial because the work of ministry is of great significance.
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Ministers cannot expect to be effective in their preaching and shepherding, and congregants
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cannot expect to be guided and cared for apart from the sanctifying grace of God.
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If we go back yet again to verse 10 of chapter 13, we remember that the apostle reminds his
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hearers that it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace.
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And one of the chief ways that God strengthens the heart of a believer is through the regular
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attendance to the means of grace, especially those that take place on the Lord's Day, namely
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preaching, singing, and praying the word, as well as partaking of the sacraments, baptism, and the
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Lord's Supper. These means of grace are gifts from God and are administered in the church, most often
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by pastors and elders, for the upbuilding of Christ's sheep. Here in verse 18, the apostle
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urges his listeners to pray on behalf of these leaders he mentioned in verse 17. He reminds the
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Hebrew Christians of the preciousness of their leaders and all they were called to do on the
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behalf of their congregations, and urges them to pray that God might grant favor to their leader's
00:27:46.000
work. So we see, first of all, that the work of pastoral ministry is of significant importance.
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Remember verse 17, which states that the ecclesiastical leaders were responsible for
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keeping watch over souls as those who will have to give an account. God considers the work of
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pastors and ministers of the utmost importance, and here the apostle urges his listeners to grasp
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that truth and pray to that end, that God would grant his ministers courage, humility, and success
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in the pulpit and in the church. This is because a faithful Christian pastor's success will be
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measured by the condition of his church? Are his congregants growing in grace? Are they becoming
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more like Christ in their private as well as their public lives? Are the members of a church becoming
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more repentant and obedient to his word? These are the things that God grants to his church
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through faithful leaders, and the apostle here urges his hearers to pray to that end.
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prayer also makes for a joyful and a content heart having previously commanded his leaders
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to obey and submit to their new leaders in the faith the apostle reminds the hebrew christians
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that these acts of submission to church authority were to be done in faith as we have said when
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pastoral ministry is conducted lawfully it leads to the upbuilding of the church because of the
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temptation to grumble, complain, or covet, the apostle reminds his leaders to pray, not only for
00:29:23.100
their pastor's growth in wisdom and godliness, but also for their own. So I ask you this morning,
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are you praying for your pastors? Are you praying that they might have courage and find success in
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the discharging of their God-given duties? Are you praying that you might grow in gratefulness,
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joy, and sanctification under their pastoral ministry. These are things that God desires.
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Consider Paul's words in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. Finally, brothers, pray for us that the word
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of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered
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from wicked and evil men. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, verses 1 and 2. At this point, it's important
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to note that success in the church is not equivalent to what many pastors or churches
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would consider a success today. By many today, a church would be considered successful if it was
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conducted in a packed auditorium or if it attracted many high-end donors. Successful churches today
00:30:26.560
boast of thriving ministries for children, seniors, pet owners, middle-aged singles, and adrenaline
00:30:32.380
junkies. Churches are considered successful by how many decisions for Christ were made and how
00:30:38.280
engaging the professional worship band is. These markers of success are the aims for which their
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programs and methods are tailored towards. But consider what the Apostle Paul asks the
00:30:49.580
Thessalonians to pray for here, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored as happened
00:30:56.260
among you. When we pray for our leaders and for our churches, we are praying that God's word may
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take root and cause his people to look more like Christ. As we pray to this end, we must recognize
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that the Lord has purposed that our pastors and our leaders would be foundational in our pursuit
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of it. One more aside about this phrase, pray for us, is the fact that the author of the letter to
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the Hebrews is asking his hearers to include him in their prayers. He is associating himself with
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this group of leaders mentioned here in verse 17. This gives us, as I've said earlier, a strong
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reason to believe that he himself is a pastor and has a unique love for the Hebrew Christians that
00:31:37.640
he writes to. He continues this trust with the following phrase, giving the reason why such
00:31:43.980
prayers are to be made. He writes, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience desiring to act
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honorably in all things. The apostle appeals to his own conscience before God and before his church
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and asks for their prayers on behalf of it. In doing this, he seeks to encourage his listeners
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in their prayers as they strive for him and the other leaders. The Hebrews were to understand
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that the weighty work of ministry and the keeping watch over their souls was a duty that their
00:32:17.080
leaders were determined to discharge with honor. Their leaders were emboldened by their faith in
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Christ to glorify God in the work of ministry, and this was meant to be a great assurance
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to their congregants. Consider what our Lord says in Matthew 24.
00:32:34.420
Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has set over his household to give
00:32:40.840
them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing
00:32:46.780
when he comes. Matthew chapter 24 verses 45 and 46. These servants you see whom Christ has set
00:32:55.500
over his household are meant to be understood as ministers of the gospel. Our Lord has clearly
00:33:02.020
charged them to feed his sheep at the proper time and to do so continually until he returns.
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In these verses, the apostle reminds the Hebrews of this charge and his earnest desire to fulfill
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his ministry as a good steward of God's mysteries, John Gill writes. In this, the apostle states that
00:33:22.980
he was not beholden to some outside power or authority, but to God alone, and urged the Hebrew
00:33:29.660
Christians to use this as fuel for their prayers on his behalf. Before we move on to the last verse
00:33:36.760
in our text for today, I believe this is an important application we would do well to linger
00:33:42.140
on. As members of Christ's church and of this local body, we would do well to pray for our
00:33:48.740
pastors. We must first thank God for those pastors who serve with a clear conscience
00:33:54.340
and a desire to act honorably. They are those who faithfully preach the word,
00:34:00.060
courageously stand on it, and give their lives to feed Christ's sheep. They remember the charge
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given to them by Christ himself and are faithful to do their work in the fear of God.
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There are pastors who serve in this manner today.
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And I wholeheartedly believe the pastor that we are under, Pastor Joel, is a good example.
00:34:22.460
What a joy it is to be shepherded by these men who truly do serve with honor.
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In our prayers, let us continue to pray that God would grant our state, our land, and our world more men who pastor his church with this same conviction and a regard for their work.
00:34:38.300
I fear that there are too many pastors who are beholden to their own paycheck, to their
00:34:43.780
Instagram followers, to the fear of their civil authorities, to the CDC, you name it.
00:34:49.600
May God grant us wise and resolved leaders who remember their duties and are committed
00:34:56.980
The health of our churches and the state of our land depends on this.
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And so let us close with the third point that we consider today, the urgency of the matter.
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And this will focus on verse 19. I'll read it once more for us.
00:35:13.300
I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.
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This last verse is short, but it ties together all that has been said thus far.
00:35:25.140
The apostle charges his listeners to obey and submit to their leaders and continue striving
00:35:30.900
in their prayers on their behalf because of the current circumstances they found themselves in.
00:35:37.000
From this verse, we can tell that there was a considerable distance between the Hebrew
00:35:41.040
Christians and the author of the letter, as the reason he gives for these urgent intercessions
00:35:46.560
to be made was in order that he may be restored to them the sooner.
00:35:52.080
From the text itself, we don't learn much about the nature of why the two were distanced
00:35:56.780
from each other, but we could presume that a physical barrier was the most likely culprit.
00:36:01.220
At the time of the writing of the letter, persecutions for the faith, especially for
00:36:06.680
leaders, were not uncommon. Think of the apostles' imprisonments, riots, and trials, accounts of which
00:36:13.640
we have in scripture that remind us of the challenges faced by the early church. Persecution
00:36:20.320
aside, there is also the restraint of the body, of being in one finite place and time, and of being
00:36:26.780
prevented from being in all places that we may desire to reside. In Romans chapter 1, Paul wrote
00:36:32.280
of his intent to visit the Romans face to face and lamented that he had been prevented from
00:36:37.740
fulfilling that earnest desire. He writes again in Romans chapter 15, I appeal to you brothers by
00:36:44.920
our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit to strive together with me in your prayers
00:36:51.280
to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for
00:36:57.760
Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God's will I may come to you with joy
00:37:03.440
and be refreshed in your company. In all truth, the New Testament is full of examples like these,
00:37:11.220
epistles that were written to churches because the author, apostle, whoever it may be, was absent
00:37:16.900
in the flesh. I'm always reminded of the meeting between Paul and the Ephesian elders in Acts
00:37:22.560
chapter 20, in which many tears are shed on the beach because Paul is leaving yet again
00:37:27.660
and headed towards suspected threats in Jerusalem. In the case of the letter to the Hebrews,
00:37:34.420
whatever the source of distance may be, the author and his hearers were found to be separated from
00:37:40.080
one another. And it is in response to this that the apostle asks that fervent intercessions be
00:37:45.480
made, that the two may be reunited. If you've listened well over the course of our study
00:37:51.580
through Hebrews, you've heard Pastor Joel's case that the book of Hebrews was written just prior
00:37:56.660
to 70 AD, and therefore just prior to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.
00:38:03.100
These events were significant in Hebrew and church history, and most certainly I am convinced
00:38:08.740
were in focus throughout all that was written in this letter to the Hebrews.
00:38:14.140
Having been warned by Christ of the temple's coming destruction, the apostle instructs his
00:38:20.000
audience, Hebrew Christians who would have likely been raised in temple worship and Jewish tradition,
00:38:26.000
to offer these urgent and earnest prayers. He does this pastorally, that they might be preserved
00:38:32.760
despite the coming trouble, and look to Christ for their newfound hope in him. Although it would
00:38:39.700
appear that dark days would be ahead. This was the basis for a hopeful eschatology. Instead of being
00:38:46.840
driven to despair, they were to follow their new leaders, pray they may be reunited with others,
00:38:53.320
and pray that God would do all of this for his glory and their good. There's great wisdom for
00:38:59.620
us this morning here in this verse, in verse 19. Our current situation as Christians in America
00:39:05.820
in 2023 may look dire today. Since 70 AD, we have no doubt seen significant advances for God's
00:39:14.460
kingdom and for Christendom, but even today it can be troubling when we survey the landscape
00:39:20.360
of our society and the times in which we live. Some have indicated that we may be in for financial
00:39:26.580
hardship, and I know some of you may have experienced this. The attitudes towards
00:39:31.340
Christianity appear to be more openly hostile as of late, and there are many reports of Christians
00:39:36.620
being persecuted in Western countries of all places. Younger generations have an appetite
0.98
00:39:42.900
for wanton craving and have little respect for prior generations. Older generations have
00:39:49.040
abdicated their responsibility to teach and train younger generations and have allowed their
00:39:54.080
children to be shaped by the television, social media, and the public school system. These are
00:40:00.020
symptoms of a deeper root cause, we need to repent, return to God's truth, and take the same sort of
00:40:06.360
actions that are prescribed here in Hebrews chapter 13. Our frustrations and our lamentations
00:40:12.240
with the current landscape should lead us back to God and his promises, chiefly in our attendance
00:40:17.800
to the means of grace and patient, hopeful prayer. We do this because of our eager expectation that
00:40:25.740
God will be glorified and that nothing is insignificant or too difficult for him. We have
00:40:32.400
this same unwavering hope expressed here by the apostle, that through obedience to his word,
00:40:39.040
submission to our pastors, and patient prayer, that God may perhaps show us favor and bless
00:40:46.420
our land. In verse 19, the apostle expresses that earnest prayer would lead to his being restored to
00:40:53.860
you the sooner. And so I ask you this morning, are you attending to the means of grace with joy?
00:41:01.160
Do you see the benefit of worshiping with God's people? Do you see God's grace in submitting to
00:41:07.560
your pastor's ministry? Is your home filled with prayer? And are you doing all of these things
00:41:13.520
earnestly? As Christians, we should be marked by a spirit of eagerness, of earnestness in our
00:41:20.620
attendance to these means. No matter what situation or hardship you may find yourself in,
00:41:27.380
you have been given a precious gift in Christ Jesus, that is faith in his name. And as we live
00:41:33.900
our lives by faith, the times in which we live should cause us not to be slack in our obedience,
00:41:40.240
but to abound all the more in earnest hope that we may be restored to Christ the sooner.
00:41:46.860
So as we conclude our sermon this morning, I want to read one more text from 2 Timothy chapter 2.
00:41:57.220
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel,
00:42:04.960
for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal.
00:42:10.820
Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
00:42:21.660
As we consider these verses in light of our text today, in Hebrews chapter 13, verses 17 through 19,
00:42:28.380
we see the words of a man, a godly pastor, who is resolved to endure everything for the sake of the elect,
00:42:35.980
that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
00:42:42.960
As I mentioned at the beginning of this sermon, when the gospel takes root in a person,
00:42:47.340
it transforms that person from the inside out. As the gospel takes root in our own lives,
00:42:53.900
the Holy Spirit bears the fruits of the Spirit in us. Love, joy, peace, patience, etc.
00:43:01.720
This will transform the way that we live as men, women, husbands, wives, mothers, and fathers,
00:43:11.300
employees, business owners, pastors, and congregations.
00:43:19.180
As we consider the fruit of faith in a pastor's life,
00:43:23.060
I thank the Lord for godly men like the Apostle Paul and Pastor Joel,
00:43:27.320
who truly seek to endure everything for the sake of their congregations, that we may too obtain the
00:43:34.600
salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. In the same respect, as we become more
00:43:41.160
transformed by God's sanctifying grace, our congregations, our churches will grow in obedience
00:43:47.620
and submission to an earnest prayer for our pastors. No pastor is perfect, but may God grant
00:43:55.420
us humility and thankfulness to support them, stand by them, pray for them, and give him the
00:44:03.060
glory for those who watch over our souls. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for your word.
00:44:13.020
Lord, your word is, your law is a light unto our feet and a lamp unto our path, Lord, and your word
00:44:19.300
is what guides us, directs us, shapes us, and transforms us, oh Lord. And we thank you that
00:44:26.380
we receive your word as those who have been enlightened by your grace to trust Jesus Christ,
00:44:33.020
your son, by faith. Would your word have blessed your people this morning? Would it have glorified
00:44:38.400
you, oh God, and let it lead us to action, we pray. Help us to be those who love Christ,
00:44:44.460
love our neighbors, and to do all for the glory of your name. We pray these things in Jesus's name.
00:44:51.460
Amen. Can I be frank with you for just a second right here at the end? Look, some of you guys,
00:44:56.580
you're financially supporting this ministry, and from the bottom of my heart, I say thank you. I
00:45:01.960
cannot thank you enough. However, some of you, you just, you can't afford it. In fact, some of you,
00:45:09.300
you shouldn't afford it. Let's be honest. I mean, we're living in Joe Biden's ridiculous economy.
00:45:16.060
Our nation and our totalitarian political elites lost their minds over the last three years
0.91
00:45:24.200
due to COVID. We have written checks that we simply cannot cash. It doesn't matter if people
00:45:31.120
change the definition of a recession. We are living in a recession right now regardless.
00:45:37.940
Some of you are struggling to afford a carton of eggs at the grocery store.
00:45:42.580
You cannot support financially this ministry at this time, nor should you, but you could
00:45:51.560
I am asking you, please, if you're willing to do so, take one minute of your time.
00:45:57.560
Leave us a five-star review on your favorite podcast platform, iTunes, Spotify, whatever
00:46:06.700
We want to be innocent as doves, but shrewd as vipers.
00:46:13.100
You leave us a five-star review, and our podcast shows up for more people.
00:46:18.080
And the Word of God and courageous theology applied in practical ways to every realm of