The NXR Podcast - SUNDAY SERMON - Gospel Fruit in Pastors and Congregations ｜ Hebrews 13_17-19

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00:00:40.160 Good morning, Covenant Bible Church. It's good to be here with you all this morning.

00:00:46.700 For those of you who don't know me, my name is Connor, and I serve as a lay elder here at the

00:00:50.800 church. Many of you may be familiar with me when it comes time to lead worship through song,

00:00:55.700 and it's such a great joy to me to do that. It's been a while since I've last preached

00:01:00.760 and I'm excited to get to do so this morning. My family and I consider it a great pleasure

00:01:06.060 to have gotten to know so many new faces and families and to worship alongside you all each

00:01:11.900 Lord's Day as our church has grown. Without further ado, we'll jump right in. If you have

00:01:17.380 your Bibles in front of you or a copy of the notes, please direct your attention to the text

00:01:22.240 at hand. This week's text is Hebrews chapter 13, verses 17 through 19. Once more, that's Hebrews

00:01:30.740 chapter 13, verses 17 through 19. And as is our tradition here at Covenant Bible Church,

00:01:36.680 would you stand with me as I read the text? When I conclude reading it, I will say, this is the

00:01:46.980 word of the Lord. And as a congregation, I'll ask that we respond by saying, thanks be to God.

00:01:53.100 And so this is once more Hebrews chapter 13, verses 17 through 19.

00:01:58.220 The Bible says this,

00:02:00.260 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account.

00:02:08.440 Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

00:02:14.100 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.

00:02:20.780 I urge you the more earnestly to do this

00:02:22.980 in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.

00:02:26.380 This is the word of the Lord.

00:02:28.100 Thanks be to God.

00:02:29.420 Please be seated and join me now as I pray.

00:02:35.960 Father, we thank you.

00:02:37.680 We thank you, God, that we are gathered here this morning

00:02:41.100 to worship you.

00:02:43.420 As Pastor Joel just said,

00:02:44.660 that every Sunday is a lowercase Easter,

00:02:48.180 a resurrection Sunday, God.

00:02:49.540 We come to you joyful and grateful, knowing that our King has risen from the dead as a firstfruits.

00:02:57.140 And we look to him, we praise him, and we honor him, and we thank you for giving us to your church.

00:03:03.580 Father, as we consider your word this morning, I pray first of all for myself, Lord.

00:03:08.780 I am a weak, fickle man.

00:03:11.300 Please help me to preach your word faithfully and honorably to your church this morning.

00:03:16.460 Please feed your church through your word.

00:03:18.700 I pray for the members of Covenant Bible Church

00:03:21.400 and those who will hear the sermon.

00:03:22.620 Lord, please bless them with ears and with eyes

00:03:25.280 to hear and to see all that you have purposed

00:03:27.720 your word to do this morning.

00:03:29.640 Help them to hear and give glory to your son,

00:03:32.260 whom your word points toward.

00:03:34.720 And we pray as well, Lord, just that through the preached word

00:03:37.140 that you would be honored and blessed this morning.

00:03:40.740 Let you receive all the glory, God.

00:03:43.340 We pray these things in your name.

00:03:45.580 Amen.

00:03:48.060 If you've worshiped with us over the last few weeks, you may recognize this is the fourth week

00:03:52.880 that we will be spending in Hebrews chapter 13. Pastor Joel mentioned it last week and this

00:03:58.040 morning, but as this chapter draws to a close, so too does the book of Hebrews. Next week will

00:04:04.020 be the final week that we spend in the book of Hebrews before we conclude the epistle.

00:04:08.940 I pray that our time in the epistle has been as enriching and encouraging to you as it has been

00:04:13.300 to me and to my family. If you haven't noticed it up until this point, the apostle changes his

00:04:19.620 focus in the epistle in chapter 13 in comparison to the rest of the letter. Having laid out the

00:04:25.240 primary theological and doctrinal matters over the prior 12 chapters, the apostle begins to

00:04:30.880 apply these matters to Christian living in chapter 13. This isn't to say that he hasn't done so

00:04:36.840 elsewhere or at other times in the letter, but this closing chapter is especially concerned

00:04:42.120 with the various applications of Christian theology and doctrine.

00:04:46.580 Like any faithful preacher of God's word,

00:04:49.280 the apostle is not content with leaving the matter settled at the 10,000-foot level,

00:04:53.880 where only the pietist or the seminary-educated could understand

00:04:57.600 or grasp the truth of the matter and its implications.

00:05:01.140 Instead, out of love for Christ's sheep,

00:05:03.240 the apostle seeks to bring about a deep understanding of God's truth

00:05:07.360 for each member of the body of believers

00:05:09.800 and how it ought to be adopted and applied in every theater or arena that the Christian may

00:05:15.460 find himself or herself in. This is uniquely apparent in the text before us today because

00:05:21.420 this text, more than any that we have seen, I might argue, reveals the apostle's pastoral heart.

00:05:28.680 In fact, I'm convinced that this text reveals to us that the apostle is himself a pastor,

00:05:33.800 a shepherd of sheep. And I think that will become more apparent to you as we continue in our study

00:05:39.860 of this portion of God's word this morning. If we needed any more evidence to bolster the case

00:05:45.620 that the Apostle Paul is the author of the book of Hebrews, we could add to it this. In these words,

00:05:51.080 the author reveals to us that he is, in fact, a pastor with a unique love for the Hebrew

00:05:56.260 Christians that he writes to. If that doesn't sound like the Apostle Paul, then I don't know

00:06:00.880 what does. But anyway, I digress. So if you were here with us last week, you may remember that

00:06:07.940 Pastor Joel preached from Hebrews chapter 13, verses 7 through 16. Much of that sermon focused

00:06:14.820 on the apostles' appeal to God's grace in Christ, which strengthens the heart of the believer,

00:06:20.800 unlike the diverse and strange teachings which have no benefit in the new covenant.

00:06:26.040 By these diverse and strange teachings, the apostle primarily refers to the traditions

00:06:30.440 and doctrines of men which were added to the true laws and observances which were fulfilled

00:06:35.940 in Christ.

00:06:37.780 Pastor Joel helped us to see that the apostle again warns his hearers of the dangers of 1.00

00:06:42.500 returning to Judaism, especially those practices and observances which had no root in Christ 0.87

00:06:48.560 but were instituted by hypocrites, as he taught us. 0.99

00:06:52.360 The echoes of our Lord's words ring here.

00:06:55.380 For the sake of your tradition, you have made void the word of God, Matthew chapter 15, verse 6.

00:07:02.900 In this warning, we see the particular danger of returning not to the Old Testament observances,

00:07:08.280 which would lead any true follower of Christ to see their fulfillment in him,

00:07:12.380 but in those that were rooted in sin, in hypocrisy.

00:07:16.160 Here, the apostle reminds his hearers of the grace that is theirs in Christ Jesus,

00:07:20.540 the one who their prior leaders and all the types and shadows of the old covenant pointed to.

00:07:27.060 At the end of that text was the admonition that was found in Hebrews chapter 13 verses 15 and 16

00:07:33.000 and I endeavor to read these to you once more to bring them to your remembrance.

00:07:37.860 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God that is the fruit of

00:07:44.580 lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such

00:07:51.460 sacrifices are pleasing to God. Christ, having fulfilled all old covenant sacrifices once and

00:07:59.020 for all in himself, bids his sheep here to partake of gospel sacrifices. Through faith in Christ,

00:08:06.460 we yield to him our obedience, namely our praise and acknowledgement of his glory in both word

00:08:13.120 and deed. As we have said, these deep realities will result in love for God and love for neighbor.

00:08:20.760 A Christian, the apostle says, will be a doer of good and quick to share his possessions in

00:08:26.240 continuing the brotherly love and hospitality which were mentioned at the beginning of chapter 13.

00:08:32.580 These verses are foundational and they undergird the way that we are to understand the verses that

00:08:37.680 follow, namely the ones that are before us today, verses 17 through 19 in chapter 13.

00:08:44.100 When God saves a sinner, the gospel of Jesus Christ takes root in that person's heart

00:08:48.840 and transforms him or her from the inside out. That person begins to look more like Christ

00:08:55.360 in the realm of thoughts, affections, desires, and actions. This will have a lasting effect

00:09:02.720 on the way that person perceives the world, the manner in which he carries himself,

00:09:07.780 and the attitude that he adopts in his relationships. One such application of the

00:09:13.420 gospel's outworking the apostle states is found in the church, particularly in their relationship

00:09:19.260 between a pastor and his congregants. What sorts of gospel sacrifices is the minister called to

00:09:26.440 make out of love for his congregation? And moreover, what sorts of gospel sacrifices

00:09:31.200 is the congregation called to make out of love for their pastor.

00:09:35.960 These are the sorts of questions and applications

00:09:38.760 that the apostle seeks to address to us in these verses.

00:09:43.240 Although only three verses,

00:09:45.160 I believe this text is of incredible value to us.

00:09:49.140 Through this sermon, I will seek to highlight

00:09:51.160 three primary points found in the scriptures before us.

00:09:55.360 The first is humble submission and joyful oversight

00:09:58.720 found in verse 17.

00:10:00.940 The second is prayer from a clear conscience, which is found in verse 18.

00:10:05.900 And the third is the urgency of the matter, found in verse 19.

00:10:11.020 As we consider what the scriptures have to say about this relationship between a pastor

00:10:15.860 and his congregants, I pray that you will recognize what a gift from God faithful shepherds

00:10:21.500 are to the church.

00:10:23.640 Grateful, gospel-cherishing hearts will motivate us to action on behalf of our pastors.

00:10:31.300 And lastly, before we begin, I would be remiss if I failed to mention how thankful I am

00:10:35.780 to be the one preaching this sermon this morning.

00:10:38.440 This is somewhat of a pastor appreciation sermon for me.

00:10:42.080 As I was writing it and preparing it this week, I couldn't help being reminded of how

00:10:46.360 thankful I am to be a student under Pastor Joel's teaching and a product of his pastoral

00:10:50.880 ministry.

00:10:52.040 When I first moved to San Diego as a young man in 2013, I would have never imagined being

00:10:57.140 here almost 10 years later.

00:10:59.320 Our Lord is gracious and wise in his providence, and he certainly has been to me and now my family

00:11:05.660 through all that Joel has courageously and humbly taught me from the pulpit, in his home,

00:11:11.700 and through many other meetings and teaching opportunities. There's been quite a bit of solid

00:11:16.720 material and teaching available to us as citizens of the technological age, and I know that no doubt

00:11:22.540 many of you have benefited greatly from these types of ministries. God has used many faithful

00:11:28.100 pastors to help me grow over the course of my Christian life, and yet many of these are men

00:11:33.300 that I have never met. While I thank God for these men and their ministries, it is quite another

00:11:39.440 thing entirely to be faithfully shepherded by a godly pastor week in and week out. I cannot think

00:11:45.900 of a better way to frame this sermon than to highlight how much I and my family appreciate

00:11:51.180 being under Pastor Joel's ministry. So without further ado, let us dive into the text before us.

00:11:58.160 Let's consider the first point that I've highlighted. The first is humble submission

00:12:02.240 and joyful oversight, and we'll read again verse 17. The text says, obey your leaders and submit

00:12:10.940 to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account.

00:12:16.920 Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

00:12:24.440 The apostle here begins with two simple admonitions to his hearers.

00:12:29.040 He urges them to obey and submit to their new leaders in the faith, not merely giving

00:12:35.100 a listening ear, but to be diligent to heed their warnings and follow their instructions.

00:12:41.460 But who were these leaders who the apostle urges the Hebrew Christians to obey?

00:12:45.800 we would do well to consider the words of John Gill, who writes here, quote,

00:12:51.780 not the ecclesiastical rulers among the Jews, for to these they were no longer obliged,

00:12:57.740 they being no longer under such tutors and governors, nor civil magistrates, though it 0.88

00:13:03.800 was their duty to obey them, even heathen ones. For as for Christian magistrates, as yet there 0.98

00:13:10.500 were none, but their spiritual guides and governors, end quote. Here Gill distinguishes

00:13:17.220 between a sample of leaders who may potentially hold sway over the Jewish Christians. They were

00:13:23.220 first of all, or there were first of all, leaders of the synagogue, who the apostle expressly states

00:13:28.940 no longer held any authority over the converted Hebrews. Being members of an entirely different 0.93

00:13:35.180 church, the one true church even, such Hebrews reminded that their baptism into Christ was a 0.99

00:13:42.160 baptism into his church, his body. Despite still sharing the Hebrew bloodline, they were to 1.00

00:13:48.800 recognize that Christ's claim over them was greater than any ethnic heritage, especially 0.99

00:13:54.860 when that heritage denied Christ and perpetuated the religious practice of diverse and strange

00:14:00.480 teachings, which we saw in verse 9. These, said Gil, had no governance over them any longer.

00:14:08.260 In addition, Gil illustrates that though the Hebrew Christians whom the apostle wrote to

00:14:12.640 were subject to civil authorities, even heathen ones, this is not what was meant by these verses.

00:14:20.020 In these verses, it is to be understood the new spiritual guides and governors whom the Hebrews

00:14:25.880 gained through becoming members of Christ's church. Do you remember Ephesians chapter 4?

00:14:32.020 The apostle Paul wrote there that he, God, gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists,

00:14:38.820 the shepherds, and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the

00:14:45.320 body of Christ, Ephesians chapter 4 verses 11 and 12. The Hebrew Christians were to understand that

00:14:52.480 God himself provided these various officers to his church to edify and to train them for the work

00:14:59.340 of ministry. If you remember from last week, we were introduced to a group of leaders that were

00:15:06.060 mentioned in verse 7. I'll read verse 7 again so it's fresh in your minds. Remember your leaders,

00:15:12.480 those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate

00:15:19.200 their faith. These leaders here may have been the same ones that are mentioned here in verse 17,

00:15:25.900 but there are subtle differences in these two verses that may lead us to believe that these

00:15:30.920 two groups of leaders were in fact distinct groups. Pastor Joel faithfully taught us that

00:15:36.600 the leaders mentioned in verse 7 were leaders who preceded the current group of Hebrew Christians

00:15:42.080 being addressed. We know this because the apostle urges his listeners to remember them and to

00:15:48.140 consider the outcome of their way of life. On the other hand, the leaders who are mentioned here in

00:15:54.640 verse 17 are likely to be understood as holding current authority in the church of God. This is

00:16:01.100 evident because the Hebrew Christians were urged not only to remember them, but to presently obey

00:16:07.080 and submit to them. In addition, the apostle writes that these leaders were currently keeping watch

00:16:13.200 over their souls and would one day give an account. These would have been the office holders that we

00:16:19.300 just highlighted in Ephesians chapter 4. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers

00:16:25.920 who were given to the church for its continued upbuilding. And so having this established who

00:16:32.860 these leaders are, the apostle urges his leaders to obey and submit to them. The ones who he states

00:16:40.080 are held responsible for keeping watch over their congregation souls and will ultimately have to give

00:16:46.340 an account for their work. The apostle continues this thought with the second half of verse 17 as

00:16:52.240 he writes, let them do this with joy and not with groaning for that would be of no advantage to you.

00:17:00.200 The second half of the verse is particularly interesting to us because it encourages us

00:17:05.300 and propels us to see the inherent blessing and gift that the church is to us and to our families.

00:17:12.760 The modernists would look at such a text as this and see great violence done in the commands to

00:17:19.120 obey and submit. How hierarchical, how domineering, they might say. But here the apostle helps his

00:17:26.840 hearers to see that proper obedience and submission to ecclesiastical officers is of

00:17:33.640 an advantage to you, our text says. In other words, it provides great benefit. A faithful pastor is

00:17:41.400 used by God to make his congregants wiser, kinder, more courageous, etc. In a word, a believer becomes

00:17:50.120 more godly through his obedience and submission to his pastor's teaching and ministry, provided

00:17:56.480 his pastor fears God and teaches the truth. Similarly, the apostle helps us to see that

00:18:03.620 the pastor is to complete this work with joy and not with groaning. The minister's work and

00:18:09.280 calling is surely a weighty one. He is called to watch over souls, and yet this is a work that he

00:18:15.840 is to do with joy and delight. Stated plainly, these truths that are laid before us in these

00:18:21.700 scriptures lend towards a mutual satisfaction and unity in the church, joy on the part of the

00:18:29.000 minister, and a maximization of every advantage for the congregation, God's chosen people.

00:18:35.580 The gospel sacrifices which we have mentioned here are clearly displayed and display the

00:18:41.120 gospel's transforming power in the dealings of the minister and his congregation.

00:18:46.580 So how might we ask is the congregation to obey and to submit to their pastor?

00:18:51.700 If there's anything that we have learned over the last three years, we are to obey our leaders in

00:18:56.740 all lawful forms of authority, and this includes our pastors. We have to first recognize that powers

00:19:03.560 are given by God to each form of authority, and this would include fathers, civil authorities,

00:19:10.140 and pastors. Each authority must take its cues from scripture in order to learn how to rightly

00:19:15.680 apply the authority given to it. In doing so, the authority glorifies God and causes those who are

00:19:22.760 in submission to it to flourish. This is true of pastors. When pastors righteously wield the

00:19:29.040 authority given to them, our text says that this leads to the congregation's advantage.

00:19:34.520 On the other hand, when a pastor is domineering, this will likely lead to abuse, while an abdication

00:19:40.880 of pastoral authority will likely lead to a wayward and abandoned congregation.

00:19:46.900 So this leads us to ask then, what authority is given primarily to pastors? In Acts chapter 6,

00:19:52.740 we see the first elders devoted to prayer and to the ministry of the word. In 1 Peter chapter 5,

00:19:59.700 Peter writes to elders exhorting them to shepherd the flock of God that is among you,

00:20:05.460 exercising oversight, and to be examples to the flock. In our text for this week, we see that

00:20:11.800 pastors are to keep watch over their congregation's souls and guard them through the teaching of sound

00:20:17.600 doctrine and the refutation of false teaching. These are but a few examples taken from scripture

00:20:23.860 of authority that is given to a pastor. So pressing forward then, in what ways might a

00:20:30.560 congregation be called to obey and submit to their pastor. The congregant must first hold the

00:20:37.180 ministry of the pastor with great esteem, so long as he upholds his ministry in a godly fashion.

00:20:43.880 This is how one should regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God,

00:20:50.400 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 1. The Christian must joyfully and humbly submit to his teaching

00:20:57.420 out of love for Christ and not seek to constantly nitpick and find disagreements with his preaching

00:21:02.980 when he exercises lawful authority as a steward of the mysteries of God. This means that the

00:21:10.040 congregant must also seek to diligently attend to his teaching and desire to apply it to his

00:21:15.960 or her life. Another point worth considering is that a congregant must esteem his pastor

00:21:21.860 as one worth imitating. Brothers, join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who walk according 0.92

00:21:29.560 to the example that you have in us. Philippians chapter 3 verse 17. First of all, this means that

00:21:37.440 the pastor's character must be worthy of imitation, but it also means the congregant should be eager

00:21:43.140 to listen to and follow the pastor's way of life. If you were someone who often has had the thought

00:21:49.420 at church. I wouldn't have said it that way, or I wouldn't have done that. It may be worth examining

00:21:54.860 if that thought is one that truly esteems your pastor. Are your eyes set on your pastor's good

00:22:00.280 and on imitating him, or are they clouded by your own pride? Again, this presupposes that the pastor

00:22:07.880 is wielding his God-given authority lawfully. As congregants, though, we must labor to be

00:22:14.160 patient and make our pastor's work abound in joy, as our text states. In addition, a congregation is

00:22:22.240 to ensure that their pastor is adequately compensated for his work. Let the one who is

00:22:26.800 taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Galatians chapter 6, verse 6.

00:22:33.500 And let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who

00:22:38.620 labor and preaching and teaching. For the scripture says, you shall not muzzle an ox when it treads

00:22:44.380 out the grain, and the laborer deserves his wages. 1 Timothy chapter 5 verses 17 and 18.

00:22:52.180 If you are not seeking to fairly compensate your pastor within your means through the tithe,

00:22:57.080 then you have means to repent. This is but one example of what it means to submit to God

00:23:02.440 and the leaders that he has placed over us by compensating them fairly. Again, this is not to

00:23:08.460 guilt you into going beyond your means or causing you to neglect your financial obligations to your

00:23:13.480 family, but the Lord commands you to adequately compensate the one who labors over you and keeps

00:23:19.480 watch over your soul. The last application I endeavor to make in this regard is that the

00:23:25.840 congregation is to show loyalty to their pastor in the manner of one Cipherus. May the Lord grant

00:23:32.360 mercy to the household of one Ciphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my

00:23:38.260 chains. But when he arrived in Rome, he searched for me earnestly and found me. May the Lord grant

00:23:45.140 him to find mercy from the Lord on that day. And you all know the service he rendered at Ephesus.

00:23:51.780 2 Timothy chapter 1 verses 16 and 18. How the words of a loyal congregant make for a joyful

00:23:59.600 minister. One way to ensure that our leaders do their work with joy is to stand by them in their

00:24:05.540 trials, make their burdens light, and refresh them when the going gets tough. With these applications

00:24:12.600 in mind now, we can now begin to ask the question, what gospel sacrifices is the minister to make on

00:24:18.560 behalf of his congregation? Primarily, the minister's gospel sacrifices are the works of ministry

00:24:24.280 that he performs on behalf of the church he pastors.

00:24:28.380 As we have said, the minister is responsible

00:24:30.620 to care for the church of God, Acts chapter 20,

00:24:34.120 to teach what accords with sound doctrine, Titus chapter 2,

00:24:38.420 and to be examples for the flock, 1 Peter chapter 5.

00:24:43.320 In these duties, shepherds, like the chief shepherd,

00:24:46.900 are to protect and provide for the flock they pastor

00:24:50.040 and to do so with boldness, courage, humility, and joy, our text today says.

00:24:58.160 Unfortunately, over the last few years, many pastors have failed to exercise godly oversight

00:25:03.200 and to boldly teach and stand on sound doctrine.

00:25:07.060 For this reason, congregations have suffered from a shallow biblical understanding,

00:25:11.980 have been stagnant in their sanctification,

00:25:14.780 and have been catechized by the world and TikTok influencers

00:25:18.100 more than they have from those who have been charged to keep watch over their souls.

00:25:23.640 Other congregants have righteously left such churches to seek out faithful pastors

00:25:28.540 and churches to be ministered from, sometimes miles away from their home and their communities.

00:25:34.380 Where the gospel is neglected, its outworkings and implications too will be affected.

00:25:40.420 But it doesn't have to be this way.

00:25:42.800 When we return to the scriptures and embrace all that God has spoken for us there,

00:25:48.100 We see the gospel take root, as we have said, and work from the inside out.

00:25:53.240 It transforms the hearts of believers, families, and churches, including the relationship between pastors and congregants.

00:26:02.040 Let's move on now to our second point, and this point is prayer from a clear conscience.

00:26:08.220 And in so doing, I'll read for us again verse 18.

00:26:10.560 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably

00:26:18.280 in all things.

00:26:20.460 Having thus explained the outworkings of the gospel in the church between ministers and

00:26:25.180 congregants in verse 17, the apostle now stresses the importance of prayer.

00:26:31.540 This is crucial because the work of ministry is of great significance.

00:26:36.780 Ministers cannot expect to be effective in their preaching and shepherding, and congregants

00:26:41.820 cannot expect to be guided and cared for apart from the sanctifying grace of God.

00:26:47.480 If we go back yet again to verse 10 of chapter 13, we remember that the apostle reminds his

00:26:53.020 hearers that it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace.

00:26:58.180 And one of the chief ways that God strengthens the heart of a believer is through the regular

00:27:02.720 attendance to the means of grace, especially those that take place on the Lord's Day, namely

00:27:08.880 preaching, singing, and praying the word, as well as partaking of the sacraments, baptism, and the

00:27:15.620 Lord's Supper. These means of grace are gifts from God and are administered in the church, most often

00:27:22.240 by pastors and elders, for the upbuilding of Christ's sheep. Here in verse 18, the apostle

00:27:28.440 urges his listeners to pray on behalf of these leaders he mentioned in verse 17. He reminds the

00:27:34.900 Hebrew Christians of the preciousness of their leaders and all they were called to do on the

00:27:39.940 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.

00:27:53.900 Remember verse 17, which states that the ecclesiastical leaders were responsible for

00:27:57.920 keeping watch over souls as those who will have to give an account. God considers the work of

00:28:04.700 pastors and ministers of the utmost importance, and here the apostle urges his listeners to grasp

00:28:11.880 that truth and pray to that end, that God would grant his ministers courage, humility, and success

00:28:19.360 in the pulpit and in the church. This is because a faithful Christian pastor's success will be

00:28:25.740 measured by the condition of his church? Are his congregants growing in grace? Are they becoming

00:28:31.560 more like Christ in their private as well as their public lives? Are the members of a church becoming

00:28:37.080 more repentant and obedient to his word? These are the things that God grants to his church

00:28:43.500 through faithful leaders, and the apostle here urges his hearers to pray to that end.

00:28:48.900 prayer also makes for a joyful and a content heart having previously commanded his leaders

00:28:56.620 to obey and submit to their new leaders in the faith the apostle reminds the hebrew christians

00:29:02.680 that these acts of submission to church authority were to be done in faith as we have said when

00:29:09.520 pastoral ministry is conducted lawfully it leads to the upbuilding of the church because of the

00:29:15.920 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,

00:29:30.460 are you praying for your pastors? Are you praying that they might have courage and find success in

00:29:36.400 the discharging of their God-given duties? Are you praying that you might grow in gratefulness,

00:29:41.460 joy, and sanctification under their pastoral ministry. These are things that God desires.

00:29:48.940 Consider Paul's words in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. Finally, brothers, pray for us that the word

00:29:55.960 of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered

00:30:01.560 from wicked and evil men. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, verses 1 and 2. At this point, it's important

00:30:09.760 to note that success in the church is not equivalent to what many pastors or churches

00:30:14.740 would consider a success today. By many today, a church would be considered successful if it was

00:30:20.780 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

00:30:43.580 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

00:31:01.480 take root and cause his people to look more like Christ. As we pray to this end, we must recognize

00:31:08.320 that the Lord has purposed that our pastors and our leaders would be foundational in our pursuit

00:31:13.960 of it. One more aside about this phrase, pray for us, is the fact that the author of the letter to

00:31:21.440 the Hebrews is asking his hearers to include him in their prayers. He is associating himself with

00:31:27.760 this group of leaders mentioned here in verse 17. This gives us, as I've said earlier, a strong

00:31:32.480 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

00:31:51.060 honorably in all things. The apostle appeals to his own conscience before God and before his church

00:31:58.480 and asks for their prayers on behalf of it. In doing this, he seeks to encourage his listeners

00:32:04.860 in their prayers as they strive for him and the other leaders. The Hebrews were to understand

00:32:11.220 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

00:32:22.860 Christ to glorify God in the work of ministry, and this was meant to be a great assurance

00:32:28.800 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.

00:33:09.440 In these verses, the apostle reminds the Hebrews of this charge and his earnest desire to fulfill

00:33:15.180 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

00:34:06.120 given to them by Christ himself and are faithful to do their work in the fear of God.

00:34:12.820 Praise the Lord.

00:34:13.760 There are pastors who serve in this manner today.

00:34:17.080 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.

00:34:27.800 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

00:34:54.380 to honoring Christ and his word.

00:34:56.980 The health of our churches and the state of our land depends on this.

00:35:03.020 And so let us close with the third point that we consider today, the urgency of the matter.

00:35:08.300 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.

00:35:20.160 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.

00:41:53.180 2 Timothy chapter 2 verses 8 through 10 says,

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.

00:42:08.960 But the word of God is not bound.

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.

00:43:16.140 No area is left untouched.

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

00:45:49.360 still help us tremendously.

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

00:46:03.700 that might be.

00:46:04.960 This is the way the system works.

00:46:06.700 We want to be innocent as doves, but shrewd as vipers.

00:46:11.240 We need to be strategic.

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

00:46:24.840 life gets out there.

00:46:26.920 Help us get it out there.

00:46:28.620 Thanks for tuning in.

The NXR Podcast - March 05, 2023

SUNDAY SERMON - Gospel Fruit in Pastors and Congregations ｜ Hebrews 13_17-19

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