One last time, let’s take our Bibles together and turn to the Book of Hebrews. And as you are turning there, let me just inform you about some important teaching projects taking place in our church over the next year. Many of you have asked, where are we going after the book of Hebrews? 

Well, next week we are going to return to a series in the book of 1 Timothy that our good friend, Bob Butler, began a while back. This will be a series that is team-taught by our elders. So next week, I’m going to preach on 1 Timothy 2:9-15 and pick up where Bob left off. And throughout the rest of the summer, we’ll finish up that important book of the NT.  

Now this fall, starting October 1, I’m going to begin a verse-by-verse series through the OT book of Proverbs. This is something I’ve been preparing for already. I presented this to the elders a few months back and they all gave me a very enthusiastic “thumbs up.” And that series will take about a year to complete, similar to the book of Hebrews. I’m excited about that. In some ways, I feel like I’ve been preparing my entire life to preach that series. So I look forward to working through that book with you starting in October.  

And also, just a couple other teaching projects I want to let you know about. This fall, our care ministry is going to be leading our church through an important curriculum, Financial Peace University. That course will be on Tuesday nights and will begin September 12 and run through November. If you are interested in learning more about that study, you can email care ministry at supporcare@vbvf.org.  

Also one more thing. This fall, our Preacher’s Guild will be teaching again on Wednesday Nights. I’ll be participating with them as well. Our series starting Wednesday, August 30, will be “Love One Another,” and will be an exposition of the book of 1 John. So please put that on your calendar and plan to attend. Lots of great opportunities in the coming year to grow in your knowledge and application of God’s Word. So take advantage of that, church.

Today, we come to the end of Hebrews. I wish we had a 2 Hebrews, so we could find out what happened next with this church and with this author. But we don’t. All we have are little historical breadcrumbs that tell us a few things about this church. And we don’t know what happens next with them. We don’t even know who the human author of this book is, not definitively! 

But I appreciate that about this book, because it helps us to refrain from locking this book into its historical context. It’s important for us to remember that these books were inspired by the Holy Spirit for impact beyond the original readership. 

By the way, I’m all about studying a book and interpreting a book of the Bible in its historical context. We need to think through the original intent and the original setting of the books. But the way that some people talk, you’d think that the books of the Bible are so locked in their context that they can’t speak to us today. That’s not the case. This book has power to influence our lives today. And I think we’ve gotten a taste of that over the last year as we’ve studied this book.  

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And today’s message is no different. The author of Hebrews gives some final expectations to this church. We’re going to read them, interpret them, and apply them for our own church. And then we’ll be done. Write this down as #1 in your notes.  

Final expectations for the church from the book of Hebrews: 

1) Be good to your leaders (13:17-19)

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The author of Hebrews says in verse 17, 

17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch1over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. That’s a heavy statement at the end of a long letter. And there’s a double command here. There are two imperatives in this verse. First there’s “obey” and then there’s “submit.” And neither of those words are especially pleasing to the listeners.2 

The word used for “leaders” here is a participle of the Greek ἡγέομαι meaning “to lead” or “to guide.” This terminology is essentially equivalent to the words for “elders” (πρεσβύτερος) and “overseers” (ἐπίσκοπος) elsewhere.3 

If you remember, the author of Hebrews addressed leaders already in verse 7. “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” That verse used a past tense verb “spoke” indicating that those leaders have passed and are no longer leading the church. Here in verse 17, the author uses the same word for “leaders” (ἡγέομαι), but in this verse, the verb is a present tense “keeping watch.”4 And there must have been some issues with defiance and divisiveness in the church, because why else would this author give such a stern command? 

Now two things could have been going on at this time. Perhaps there were some within the church who were struggling with the new leaders, because they were still pining after the old leaders who had passed away. Notice the author of Hebrews doesn’t say forget about those dead leaders. No, he says, “Remember them and imitate them.” But still, they are told to obey and submit to the authority of their existing leaders. 

Another possibility is that the church was being bewitched by “diverse and strange teachings” (13:9) from “fake leaders” talking about “Jesus plus food regulations” (we talked about this last week). And maybe some in the church were obeying these “fake leaders” and ignoring their God-appointed leaders.5 By the way, that kind of thing is especially prevalent in our own day, because anyone can get in front of a camera and teach stuff about the Bible and upload it on YouTube without any church oversight or God-ordained office in the church. Some issues like these must have been taking place with this church.  

So the author says, “Obey and submit to the God-appointed leaders in the church.” And God will hold the leaders responsible for their leadership.6 And God will hold the church responsible for their submission and obedience. 

You see, a church is kind of like a marriage. It’s best when everyone plays their part. Ephesians 5 says that a man should love and care for his wife, and a wife should submit and obey her husband. Each spouse imitates Christ in that way. The husband loves the wife as Christ loves the church, and the wife submits to the  

1 Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, NICNT, 586n39: “The verb ἀγρυπνεῖν which is used here means ‘to pass sleepless nights’ and then ‘to watch ceaselessly,’ as in Christ’s exhortation to be constantly watchful in readiness for the coming of the Son of man (Mk. 13:33; Lk. 21:36). The cognate noun ἀγρυπνία is used by Paul of his own watchful concern as a leader of the church (2 Cor. 6:5; 11:27).” 

2 Mohler, Exalting Jesus in Hebrews, 232: “Once again, the writer of Hebrews gives a call for Christ’s people to listen to and receive the teaching of those who are commissioned to teach. They are not instructed to do so because their leaders are smarter, but because God knows what his people need—teachers.” 

3 See Acts 14:23; 20:28; 1 Tim 3:1-7; 5:17; Titus 1:8-11; and 1 Pet 5:1-5 for a description of “elders” and “overseers.” For a helpful discussion on the difference between the English terms elder, overseer, deacon, pastor, bishop, etc., watch the following video: https://app.vidgrid.com/view/l1OQQpvs8ta9. Also read the following article to help you sort through these terms: https://www.9marks.org/article/hierarchy-church/. 

4 Present, active, indicative of ἀγρυπνέω meaning “take care of, keep watch, implying continuous and wakeful concern” (DBL Greek 70 ἀγρυπνέω #2). 

5Johnson, “Hebrews,” in Hebrews–Revelation, ESVEC, 212: “The hearers must not only remember their first generation of leaders (13:7); they must also listen to their present leaders, with teachable minds and submissive hearts. Our author offers reasons to persuade his readers to cooperate with these leaders, so perhaps his audience was reluctant to accept the second generation’s authority. Maybe the new leaders were being compared unfavorably to their predecessors or to interlopers who had introduced ‘diverse and strange teachings.’… Perhaps these Hebrew Christians were being swayed by winsome teachers who contradicted the apostolic foundation laid by earlier leaders.” 

6 Hughes, Hebrews, vol. 2, 236: “The sobering fact is, spiritual responsibility brings with it a higher level of responsibility and judgment. As James wrote, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” (James 3:1).”

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husband as Christ does to God the Father (see 1 Cor 11:3). When that happens, the marriage is harmonious. Everyone knows their roles. The kids know who’s in charge, the chain of command. And everything is copacetic. Everything is as it should be. But all parties have to cooperate. 

Similarly, the relationship between church leaders and the church body is symbiotic. Church leaders need to have the courage to lead, and the church body needs to have the humility to follow.7 When that happens, church is good. The elders love, honor, protect, and discipline the church, and the church submits to and obeys its leaders. And church is a safe place where people grow and thrive and trust each other. I know because I’ve experienced that most of my life.  

Does it always work that way? No. Sometime elders mistake authority for authoritarianism. Sometimes pastors get greedy and verbally abusive.8I’ve seen that firsthand too. Sometimes churches start revolts against their leaders.9 Probably the greatest American theologian, Jonathan Edwards, got forcibly removed from his pastorate by a rebellious group of troublemakers inside the church.10 It happens. And you guys know, worse things than that can happen inside of church. 

Now here’s the ideal. And this is what we should strive for at VBVF. Elders should be caring for souls, praying, teaching God’s Word, ministering to the flock like a shepherd does his sheep. And the sheep, in response, should lovingly submit and follow the leadership of the elders.  

You might say, “Well, if I don’t hold the elders feet to the fire, who will?” Well, it says here that God will hold our feet to the fire! 

those who will have to give an account.  

Who are the “those” there? The leaders—the elders of the church. And who are they giving an account to? Not to the church. This isn’t a reference to the annual meeting. The elders give an account to God for their conduct. Trust me, we are under scrutiny, and it’s not just the scrutiny of the church body. Coincidently, this is why the Apostle James says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (3:1). 

And as far as the church goes, there’s a little bit of self-interest11 here that the author of Hebrews appeals to. He says basically don’t be a high-maintenance parishioner, don’t be a misbehaving sheep, because that’s no benefit to you.12 

Let them [the leaders] do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. It was no advantage to the Israelites in the wilderness to have a cranky and exasperated Moses leading the people. There’s enough groaning as it is. The job is tough. There’s no need to make it more difficult by having unrealistic expectations of the elders… or by having factiousness in the church… or by having negative gossip spreading constantly…. or by having people chasing after bad theology that the elders have to go and sort out. We don’t need that.  

And when the elders are joyfully experiencing leadership, when they are using their gifts to love and bless and benefit the people, not getting distracted by unruly parishioners, that’s sweet.13 Let’s go for more of that. That’s advantageous for both elders and the church at large.  

7 Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, NICNT, 585: “[G]ood and successful leadership is to a considerable degree dependent on the willing response of obedience and submission on the part of those who are under authority.” 8 Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, NICNT, 586: “Our author’s concern is, then, as [John] Calvin observes, ‘only with those who faithfully exercise their office’; for ‘those who have nothing except the title, and indeed those who abuse the title of pastor to destroy the Church, deserve little reverence and even less trust.’” 

9 Spurgeon, Spurgeon Commentary: Hebrews, 466: “There are some people who would be excellent Christians if Christianity consisted in having their own way, and gaining honor for themselves. But as to making themselves the servants of others for Christ’s sake, or watching over others for their good, and being content to be made of no reputation in order that other people might be uplifted, they do not go in for that sort of thing. Clearly, they have not learned obedience.” 

10 For a readable treatment on Jonathon Edwards, see George M. Marsden, A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards (Eerdmans, 2008). 11 Johnson, “Hebrews,” in Hebrews–Revelation, ESVEC, 212 calls this a “godly self-interest.” 

12 Mohler, Exalting Jesus in Hebrews, 233: “Grudgingly obeying our leaders does not sharpen our hearts; it hardens them.” 13 It should be noted, and the author of Hebrews would agree with this, the task of the elder is never one that is exclusively joyful. Phillips Brooks says it this way, “To be a true minister to men is always to accept new happiness and new distress.… [a minister] can never be a wholly sad man; but no more can he be a man of unclouded gladness. To him shall come with every deeper consecration a 

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And one of the really practical ways that you can go about helping your church leaders is to pray for them. Look at the next command that the author gives us.  

18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience,14 desiring to act honorably in all things. 19 I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.  

Now this has to be read and understood in the context that it is given. The author of Hebrews is an apostle. He probably planted this church that he’s writing to. Or he was very instrumental in its inception. So he is one of the leaders of the church, even if he isn’t one of the elders/leaders serving every week. And he writes with apostolic authority. That’s why this book, Hebrews, is included in the canon of Scripture.  

And one of the things that the Apostles would do in this day is periodically visit different churches. We see Paul do this repeatedly in the book of Acts. But he wasn’t the only one doing that. Peter and John were doing that too. Barnabas and John Mark were doing that too. And the author of Hebrews (who I think is probably Apollos or Luke or Silas), he would do that too. And he’s saying here, “Pray for us. Pray that we stay faithful to the gospel. Pray that we have a clear conscience. Pray that we act honorably in all things. Pray that I might be restored to you sooner.” Not restored in the sense that he had fallen into sin and needed restoration. No, restored in the sense of brought back to you so that he might minister to them more fully. We’ll see in a minute that this is exactly what he planned on doing with his co-laborer Timothy.  

Now let’s transition to our world. We don’t have “capital A” Apostles in our day. We don’t have people writing Scripture and going from church to church exercising apostolic authority. Our leadership structure in the twenty-first century world is very simple: elders and deacons. Some churches are more complex than that. We are not at VBVF. We are strictly an autonomous church. So the application here would be something indirect not direct.  

And it’d be something like this, “Pray for your elders and deacons here at VBVF.”15 Pray for us to have a clear conscience in all that we do. Pray for us to steward the financial resources of the church well. Pray for us to act honorably in all things. Pray for our families. Pray for our marriages. Pray for God to sustain us and give us joy as we serve the flock here. Pray that we don’t do anything stupid that would disqualify us for serving in this capacity.  

I heard Kent Hughes say recently, “Lord, I’d prefer for you to take me home now than to allow me to dishonor your name as a pastor.”16 That’s a bold prayer. 

I heard a story this week about Charles Spurgeon. One time he was preaching a sermon, and he could tell that he wasn’t really connecting well with the congregation. And so as he finished, he said, “I fear ye have not uttered so many prayers this morning as ye should have done… For my own part, I have not felt the wondrous power I sometimes experience.”17 That was Spurgeon’s gracious, but also forceful way of saying, “Pray for me when I’m preaching to you. I need it.” 

before untasted joy, but in the same cup shall be mixed a sorrow that it was beyond his power to feel before.” (Quoted in Hughes, Hebrews, vol. 2, 237). 

14 Johnson, “Hebrews,” in Hebrews–Revelation, ESVEC, 213: “Previously the ‘cleansing’ (katharizō) of our consciences by the blood of Christ referred to the objective result of forgiveness, which immediately removes defilement and disqualification to approach God’s presence. Now, however, a (lit.) ‘good [kalos] conscience’ reflects the subjective transformation God’s grace produces in believers’ motivations and desires over time.” 

15 Hughes, Hebrews, vol. 2, 239: “How different the modern church would be if the majority of its people prayed for its pastors and lay leadership. There would be supernatural suspensions of business-as-usual worship. There would be times of inexplicable visitations from the Holy Spirit. More laypeople would come to grips with the deeper issues of life. The leadership vacuum would evaporate. There would be more conversions…Will we commit ourselves to pray for our pastors and their colleagues and their layleaders—especially those who chair the boards and committees and teach children in Sunday school and lead other important ministries?” 

16 This is my paraphrase. His actual prayer dealt more particularly with the issue of sexual sin and keeping the marriage bed holy (Heb 13:4). Hughes, Hebrews, vol. 2, 219: “Because such sin is a particularly lethal sin against the church, I have at times prayed this with my ministerial colleagues: “Lord, if adultery would lie in the future for any of us should we continue to live—then take us home now.” Better dead than damage the church!” 

17 Taken from Hughes, Hebrews, vol. 2, 239. Spurgeon also said, “The man who comes up to God’s house having prayed for God to bless the preacher is not likely to go away unprofited” (Spurgeon, Spurgeon Commentary: Hebrews, 466).

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And I know this is a little self-serving, this morning, but let me challenge you likewise church, pray for your pastor on Sundays. I need it. 

Be good to your leaders, church. Heed them and submit to them. I promise for my part to be good back… to lead and pray and teach and shepherd as best I can.18 Pray for me in that. And please be patient with me as I make mistakes along the way. 

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Go ahead and write this down as #2. Here’s a second final expectation for the church. 2) Be equipped to do God’s will (13:20-21) 

So watch this. The author of Hebrews asks for prayer in verse 18. But then he just busts out in prayer in verse 20. It’s almost like he says, “And while we’re talking about prayer, why don’t I just pray for you right now!” And what he utters in these next few verses is one of the most beautiful prayers in the Bible.19 You know it, because we’ve been reciting it as a benediction for the last year.20 

20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip21 you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. 

Now let’s take this apart a little bit. What’s the main statement in this long, complex sentence? What’s the main verb? The main verb is “equip,” the Greek καταρτίζω. Everything is being funneled into that central statement—that we are equipped. But that doesn’t mean the rest of the statements in this prayer are unimportant. Actually the author of Hebrews does an amazing job of summarizing some of the main points in this book in this prayer. And actually he does a great job summarizing the gospel. He starts… 

20 Now may the God of peace  

Our God of peace established peace with us how? By sending his Son to die for our sins. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27).22 

You know in the Muslim world, it’s inappropriate to presume upon the peace of God. Even with their greeting as-salamu alaykum (“peace be upon you”), you can’t presume upon the peace of God… or his grace for that matter. You hope for it.23 But you can’t count on it. Christianity is different. We have peace. The God of peace is at peace with us because of what Christ has done for us. That’s better! 20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, 

Not only did Jesus die for our sins, but he was raised from the dead. No resurrection. No salvation.24 If Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead, you won’t be raised from the dead either.  

18 Johnson, “Hebrews,” in Hebrews–Revelation, ESVEC, 216: “We need the care of the church, with leaders who speak God’s word truly, live it faithfully, protect us vigilantly, and remember their accountability to Jesus. In response to such leaders, we need teachable minds and humble hearts, especially when their duty compels them to speak a “word of exhortation.” Such leaders need us to pray for them, that through God’s grace their consciences will remain clear and their ministries unhindered.” 

19 Spurgeon, Spurgeon Commentary: Hebrews, 475 calls it, “a rich benediction, fitly closing an epistle, in which the prominent theme is the perseverance of the saints. Lord, fulfill this blessing in us.” 

20 Johnson, “Hebrews,” in Hebrews–Revelation, ESVEC, 213 sees this as more than just a prayer. He sees it more fully as a benediction: “Benedictions have more weight than a petitioner’s supplication. They confer benefit through a minister authorized to speak from and for God. Benedictions in NT letters extend the OT tradition of priestly blessing on Israel with the threefold pronouncement of the Lord’s name to convey blessing, protection, favor, grace, and peace. ‘So shall [the priests] put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them’ (Num. 6:22-27).” 

21 Hughes, Hebrews, vol. 2, 246: “Matthew uses the word [καταρτίζω] to describe fishermen ‘mending their nets’ (Matthew 4:21, NASB). Paul uses it in Galatians 6:1 regarding ‘restoring’ a brother—that is, putting him back in place. It was used in classical Greek for setting a bone.” 

22 Hughes, Hebrews, vol. 2, 244: “God’s peace is more than the absence of conflict, it is more than tranquility. It is completeness, soundness, welfare, well-being, wholeness.” 

23 Mohler, Exalting Jesus in Hebrews, 234: “In the Muslim system of thought, God’s peace is something one hopes for but cannot presume upon. The reason for this is simple: Christ is missing from their theology.” 

24 Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, NICNT, 589: “Had he not shed his blood for us he could not be our Savior. Had he not been brought again from the dead he could be neither Savior nor Lord. His dying would have been just one more in the long sequence of sacrifices which cannot take away sins (Heb. 10:11f.). Death would have had the final word. But the resurrection 

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the great shepherd of the sheep,  

We, as elders, are rightly called “shepherds,” and in 1 Peter 5:1-5, we are told to shepherd the flock of God. 

But we are never called the Great Shepherd.25 Only one person fits that bill. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me… and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15). 

I heard a preacher say this last week that sheep are the best evidence in the world against the theory of evolution.26 Because if only the strong survive—a foundational tenet in Darwinism—then how in the world did sheep ever survive up to the modern world? It’s not that sheep are dumb. It’s that they are vulnerable and defenseless creatures.27 And they have been domesticated by humans from the beginning of time; that’s how they have survived! 

Here’s how this analogy works. Sheep need a shepherd. We as vulnerable, defenseless sheep needed a shepherd. And we have one. And he gave his life for us as good shepherds do.  

by the blood of the eternal covenant, 

What’s the eternal covenant? It’s the new covenant in Christ’s blood. The author of Hebrews spent almost two chapters in this book explaining that.28 It’s not just a new covenant, it’s an eternal covenant. The old covenant with the OT sacrificial system will pass away. From our vantage point, it already has passed away. The new covenant will carry us right on into eternity.29 

This is a great prayer, church! He hasn’t even gotten to the petitionary part of the prayer yet. He’s just stacking up awesome theological truths about Jesus in verse 20. Now he gets to the petition in verse 21. 20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will,  

Now let me geek out for a moment. The verb “equip” here is in the optative mood in Greek.30 It’s an extremely rare verbal conjugation. And the optative mood is used often to convey a wish or a prayer before God, which is what’s happening here.31 So this author is praying for our equipping. He’s praying that we would be equipped in light of what God has done for us through Christ to do his will. In other words, we’ve got a job to do. We’ve got work to do. We are to be equipped to serve God and do God’s will.  

Have you ever wondered why when we get saved, God doesn’t just beam us up to heaven? Why when people get baptized, don’t we just hold them under and send them home to glory? That would make life a lot easier, wouldn’t it? Might be harder to get people to commit to baptism. 

manifested his glory as the prince of life and conqueror of death and confirmed that his blood is the seal of a covenant that is eternal and that by this single offering of himself ‘he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified’ (10:14).” 25 No great distinction should be made between the “great shepherd” (τὸν ποιμένα … τὸν μέγαν) in Hebrews 13:20, the “chief shepherd” (ἀρχιποίμην) in 1 Peter 5:4, and the “good shepherd” (ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς) in John 10:14-15). 26 Hughes, Hebrews, vol. 2, 245: “Dr. Bob Smith, long-time philosophy professor at Bethel College in Minnesota, used to humor his point home regarding our human state by insisting that the existence of sheep is prima facie evidence against evolution. Sheep are so unintelligent and obtuse and defenseless, they could not have possibly evolved—the only way they could have survived is with shepherds!” 

27 Mohler, Exalting Jesus in Hebrews, 234: “Sheep are aimless, vulnerable creatures; they desperately need someone to take care of them. Given that the letter’s original recipients were Jews, they would have been well acquainted with the imagery of sheep.” 28 Johnson, “Hebrews,” in Hebrews–Revelation, ESVEC, 214: “Moses sprinkled the “blood of the covenant” on the Israelites at Sinai (Heb. 9:20, citing Ex. 24:8), but they broke that covenant, and Jeremiah 31:31-34 pronounced it ‘obsolete’ (Heb. 8:13). The new covenant, which Jesus’ blood inaugurates, secures our everlasting salvation, fulfilling God’s promises to establish an ‘eternal covenant’ with his people.” 

29 Spurgeon thinks “eternal” here is a reference to eternity past and eternity future. Spurgeon, Spurgeon Commentary: Hebrews, 473-4: “Before God had spoken existence out of nothing, before angel’s wing had stirred the unnavigated cosmos, before a solitary song had disturbed the solemnity of the silence in which God reigned supreme, He had entered into solemn counsel with Himself, with His Son, and with His Spirit, and had in that council decreed, determined, purposed, and predestinated the salvation of His people.” It’s impossible to say, but I think that we should limit the term here to eternity future.  

30 Wallace, Greek Grammar beyond the Basics, 480: “There are less than 70 optatives in the entire NT. In general, it can be said that the optative is the mood used when a speaker wishes to portray an action as possible. It usually addresses cognition, but may be used to appeal to the volition.” 

31 Ibid, 481 [Voluntative Optative].

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The reason we don’t hold them under… the reason we bring them up out of the water as a symbol of the new life they have in Christ is because that’s the beginning of something beautiful, not the end. We’ve got work to do. And God wants to equip us to do good things and accomplish his will.32 

“What’s God’s will for my life, Pastor Tony? What’s his will for me? Should I go to that college or that college? Should I marry that person or that person? Should I take that job or stick it out with this one?” I don’t know. The Bible doesn’t speak with specificity to those matters on a personal level. But that’s not what this is talking about anyway in regard to God’s will. If you want to know God’s will, just start here… just refresh the things we’ve learned in Hebrews.  

Here’s God’s will for your life. Tell me if you’ve heard this before.  

“Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb 12:1). 

Here’s God’s will for your life. 

“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). 

Here’s God’s will for your life. 

“Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Heb 13:1-2). There’s φιλαδελφία and there’s φιλοξενία. That’s God’s will for your life. Here’s God’s will for your life. 

“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” (Heb 13:4). 

Here’s God’s will for your life. 

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have” (Heb 13:5). 

Here’s God’s will for your life. 

“Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods” (Heb 13:9). 

Really if you are unclear about God’s will for your life, all you have to do to start is go and read Hebrews 12-13 again and write out all the imperatives in that section. That’s a great place to start. “Oh, that’s easy, Pastor Tony.” Is it? I think finding the right job is easier than doing some of those things consistently. And the Bible says more about those things than what job you choose, where you live, or who you should marry.33 

“You’re right, Pastor Tony. This is hard. How are we going to do this?” Here’s how. Through Christ! Look at the end of verse 21. 

20 Now may the God of peace ….21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.  

How are we going to do God’s will? We’re going to do it through Jesus Christ and for his glory.34 And then we’re going to die and go home to glory. Amen.  

Ladies and gentlemen, that is an awesome, God-glorifying prayer. God, teach us to pray like that, and to stop just praying for our silly little inconveniences in this world to be alleviated! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

32 Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, NICNT, 590: “[B]eing cannot be divorced from doing, so the creature is redeemed not only to be a new man but also to do the works that spring from and make manifest the new nature, which means specifically to do God’s will, for the performance of the divine will is the proper function of every creature.” 33 For a primer on how to know God’s will, see the following resource by Bill Thrasher, Living the Life God Has Planned: A Guide to Knowing God's Will (Chicago: Moody, 2001). 

34 Hughes, Hebrews, vol. 2, 247: “It follows that once we are in Christ, we can do works through him which please him: ‘For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do’ (Ephesians 2:10). So in Christ each of us has an eternally-designed job description which includes the task, ability and place to serve. And whatever the task to which he has called us, we will be equipped for it as surely as a bird is capable of flight. And in doing the works that he has called us to do, we will be more and more his workmanship and more and more our true self.” Mohler, Exalting Jesus in Hebrews, 234-5: “We need God’s help to do his will. We cannot accomplish it on our own. This is precisely why the author asks God to accomplish these things in his people… The only way we can please God is through Jesus. No one can please God without him.”

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And you know if the author of Hebrews closed out this letter at verse 21, think what an amazing mic drop that would be. We’d all be soaring on the wings of his magnificent, doxological prayer. And then, “The End.” 

But that’s not the end. There’s a few more formalities that the author has to address.35 And it makes this letter very human and relatable.36 Write this down as #3. Here’s a third final expectation for the church.  

3) Be receptive to instruction (13:22-23) 

Look at verse 22 with me. 

22 I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.  

Briefly?!!! I know we laugh at that because we’ve been studying Hebrews for almost a year. But in reality this is a brief letter. If you sat down and read it from start to finish, it’d take you only about an hour. It’d be hard reading for an hour, but you could do it in an hour.37 

And here the author makes one final appeal to his listener… to his “brothers.” “Bear with my word of exhortation.” In other words, he knows that he’s said some hard things in this letter, some extremely pointed statements to this church. And this is a church that’s been through a lot. They’ve suffered greatly. And he wasn’t trying to pile on with a bunch of accusations. He’s trying to lovingly shepherd them. He’s trying to exhort them like a good leader does. 

And then he says in verse 23,  

23 You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. So get your hospitality engines running, we’re coming to town. The author is saying here, “I wrote just a brief letter to you. Timothy and I, now that he’s out of jail, are planning a visit and we can talk more.” And implicit to this statement is not only an “I love you, forgive me for being so direct with you” statement, but also an “I’m coming to town, so get your house in order” warning.  

Timothy, by the way, was a traveling companion and protégé of the Apostle Paul.38 This congregation didn’t need an introduction to Timothy, because they already knew who he was. Conceivably he was instrumental in planting the church with the author of Hebrews. Timothy, according to the NT, was the son of a Jewish believer named Eunice, and grandson of the Jewish believer named Lois (Acts 16:1; 2 Tim 1:5). This might be the best evidence, verse 23 here, that Paul was the author of this book. I don’t think that’s the case. But maybe I’ll get corrected when we get to eternity.  

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Finally, write this down as #4. Here’s a final expectation for the church.  

4) Be encouraged by God’s grace (13:24-25) 

24 Greet all39 your leaders and all the saints.  

That’s a command, by the way. No cold-shouldering. No passive aggressive behavior. No shunning or snubbing or slighting others without cause. Greet one another. Greet all your leaders, including the ones that I just told you to obey and submit to. And greet all the saints. Not just your buddies that you like hanging out with. Not just your affinity group at church. Greet everyone. 

35 Johnson, “Hebrews,” in Hebrews–Revelation, ESVEC, 211: “Like other NT letters, Hebrews closes with directions, personal news, and a benediction.” 

36 Many scholars and bible commentators refer to Hebrews as a sermon. Maybe they are right. But I have resisted that designation, in large measure because of how this book closes. It closes like a letter. Why is that not sufficient as a genre category (epistle) for the book? Sure, it’s a preachy letter. But so are some of Paul’s letters. 

37 Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, NICNT, 592: “[H]e has not written at inordinate length, but briefly; for there is much more teaching that he could have given (cf. 9:5), and perhaps intends to give in person when he comes to them. Certainly, the missive is full of solid doctrine concerning important issues, but, as Moffatt and Montefiore point out, it could all be read aloud in an hour.” The following reading of the NIVUK version clocks in at just under 48 minutes:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSkoMWfP0dI 

38 Johnson, “Hebrews,” in Hebrews–Revelation, ESVEC, 215: “The NT never mentions Timothy’s imprisonment, but his presence with Paul while the apostle was imprisoned (Phil. 2:19–24) makes this scenario likely.” 

39 Johnson, “Hebrews,” in Hebrews–Revelation, ESVEC, 215: “Here our author gives precedence to “all your leaders,” reinforcing their authority, in case some in the congregation still fail to accord them the respect their office warrants (Heb. 13:17).”

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Isn’t it great when you get to church on Sunday and people greet you? “Welcome to VBVF. Good to see you.” The Holy Spirit inside of you is warmed by the Holy Spirit inside of them! It’s beautiful. Those who come from Italy send you greetings.  

We talked about this the first week of our study. This letter was either written to Italy or written from Italy. Best evidence suggests it’s being written to Italy from somewhere else. And there are Italians who are with the author of Hebrews who is sending greetings back to their home country.40 

And that makes sense historically, because in AD 49, the Emperor Claudius banned Jews from the city of Rome (Acts 18:2). The famous church-planting couple Priscilla and Aquilla were part of that expatriation. Maybe Priscilla and Aquilla were those from Italy sending greetings? It’s impossible to know for sure, but it’s fun to speculate. 

And then, verse 25. 

25 Grace be with all of you.41 

We’re saved by grace. We walk by grace.42 We die in grace and go home to glory.43 Right? “Grace be with all of you.” The End.