Pleasing in His Sight

Scripture Reading

Hebrews 13:18–25 ESV

18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, 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. 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, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. 22 I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. 23 You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. 24 Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. 25 Grace be with all of you.

Prayer

Thank you, Dillon,

Good morning everyone, would you pray with me before we dive in this morning?

Lord, this is our last Sunday in the book of Hebrews. You have been challenging us to face the nature of our faith and how our lives do or don’t match what we profess to believe. Considering our life in faith as a race, you have pressed us onward, for the glory of Christ. For some of us in this morning, we are faced with the possibility that we may not need to endure the race much longer. For others, we are seemingly at the starting line. Some of us are almost ready to give up, are tempted to take a different path, thus disqualifying ourselves. Stir our hearts to return to you. Cultivate our brokenness to depend on You, as the mender of our our souls. You are our Great God. Use the words of your servant Paul to stir us to say at the end of our lives, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing (2 Timothy 4:2). We long to see Your Son. Find us faithful, our God.

Amen

Introduction

If you are just joining us today, we at the end of this series, I’m glad you’re here. We are finishing the book of Hebrews. The last few sermons we’ve heard together have regarded keeping the marriage bed undefiled, the love of money and the overindulgence in our possessions, and submission and obedience to leadership rooted in the love of Christ. Those are all messages included in the writer of Hebrews final exhortations to his readers. Those are not small topics, and the time we allot to preach each sermon can’t possibly accommodate every nuance of how these passages apply to our lives. And that’s just the first half of the writer’s final exhortations to his readers. To us. Today we’ll look at the final half.

Every church has a kind of tradition, habit, or liturgy. Generally, each church across denominations has a consistent rhythm in its service. Evangelicals have one too. For Reliance, we listen to some upcoming announcements, maybe have a call to worship, sing some songs, pray with one of the pastors or elders, read the sermon text together, pray with the pastor, listen to the sermon, pray, sing another song, and receive a benediction thus ending the service. If you’ve been in church for any amount of time, you’re familiar with the idea of a benediction. It’s given either at the end of a sermon, or maybe after singing another hymn or song together the preacher will come back up for a final word. It’s like being commissioned. It’s an encouragement to practice what was just preached.

Context

This benediction we’re about to enter into comes on the heels of a sermon where the writer has argued that the Son, Jesus Christ, is greater than angels (1:1-2:18), Moses and Joshua (3:1-4:13), that as the Melchizedekian priest he is greater than the Levitical priests (4:14-10:18). He is the greater sacrifice. He is the greater…everything.

This benediction comes on the hells of several warnings (2:1-4; 3:12-4:13; 5:11-6:8; 10:19-12:29) encouraging believers not to fall away from the faith, not to apostate! We can’t do anything but celebrate Christ’s greatness for giving us endurance to the end.

This benediction comes on the heels of the aforementioned exhortations to keep marriage pure and undefiled, that salvation can’t be found in money or your possessions, and to obey and submit to your church leadership.

Prepositional Outline and Statement

This morning we’ll look at this benediction in verses 20-21 as it is written for us. We’ll treat it as if it were the soil in a garden. It is a final summary of the book of Hebrews, the soil we’ve been planted in as believers. It is in this benediction that we dig our roots in deep, and we are shown how to grow from that soil, the equipping and expression of our faith.

This soil is composed of :

God’s Peace

His Risen Shepherd

His Eternal Covenant

Saturated in the soil of these nutrients, we’ll grow. We’ll be equipped and enabled to live out our composition. Because good soil produces good plants.

Propositional Statement: Rooted in God’s Peace, Eternal Covenant, and Risen Shepherd, we are equipped and enabled to give Christ all glory.

Let’s turn to our text this morning.

Prayers for Oneself (v. 18-19)

Last week Pastor Jacob reminded us about submitting and obeying to leaders in the church in the verse just before our reading this morning.

Hebrews 13:17 ESV

17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Hebrews 13:18 ESV

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

If I wanted to kill a church, how would I do it? I think I would start by ruining its leadership. I would find any flaw I could, and exploit it. I would flaunt it in front of that pastor’s congregation, and kill any hope that they would rally around that pastor again. They would disperse disheartened, grow in their cynicism and skepticism of church leadership, and possibly apostatize from the faith.

As an aside: For us today, unfair cynicism to church leaders based on preference, aesthetics, style, or personality can hurt the church too. How we speak of our leaders, especially within the body, affects a leader’s ability to lead and care for people. As a leader, it’s much harder to care for someone when you have to explain your reputation curated by someone else. Often, grace is expected from leaders, but not given back to them. Often trust is expected is expected from leaders, but not given back to them.

As a church leader, the one instructing and exhorting his readers and listeners, the writer of Hebrews is asking for prayer. Prayer is tangible care and love given by appealing directly to the source of grace and trust, God Himself. The writer’s conscience is clear of any wrongdoing, but he wants to act honorably, even under the weight of persecution knowing that all eyes are on him.

Hebrews 13:19 ESV

19 I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Perhaps the writer is imprisoned for his faith. It’s language that almost sounds like he’s a member of the church he’s writing to. He knows that prayer will lead to his restoration to be with the people he’s written to. The point is that he knows the value of prayer and he wants to be with these people.

Martin Bucer, John Calvin’s mentor wrote of ministers that they are “to provide for Christ’s lambs everything the Lord has promised to them in his office as a shepherd.” Godly leaders lead by example.

Pray for your church leaders so that they would lead by example. That when temptation, persecution, and suffering come our example would reflect to Christ to you, and the rest of the church. Pray that we don’t fall into sin. Pray that your leaders thrive so you will thrive in the love and knowledge of Jesus Christ. We need your prayers.

Would you do that regularly for us? Monthly? Weekly? Daily?

Whether the writer is in prison or not, or currently tempted or not, he knows the persecution this church faces. The temptation to escape persecution is strong because the tension is so high. Anxiety, fear, distrust, and sin are all heavy realities he sees.

This is where he gives begins this benediction that has been spoken over millions of Christians throughout all of the church’s history. He begins the benediction focusing on the sustenance of God’s peace.

Foundations (v. 20)

I think about some weird concepts sometimes. I think about death a lot, and how what was dead becomes food for something else. I’m not smart enough to understand the Krebs cycle or how metabolism works though I did transcribe some interviews about those processes for a friend’s Ph.D years ago.

What amazes me is that what you eat becomes a part of your body. Don’t you think that’s crazy? I am, like, half-man, half-tapioca pudding.

A plant can only be as healthy as the soil it’s placed in. It’s much like the parable of the sower in Matthew 4. As Christians, we absorb what we are saturated in.

The first part of the benediction is the soil we’re supposed to grow from, to consume, to become a part of, and to believe in.

What kind of soil we are rooted in, determines what we become and what we do. God’s Peace is an element of our soil as believers.

God of Peace

Hebrews 13:20 ESV

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,

Let’s talk about our God of Peace. God’s peace is more than the absence of conflict. It’s more than tranquility. You can’t achieve God’s peace or gain it. Simply, “not being at war,” or transcendental meditation won’t give you God’s peace.

God alone gives you His peace. It is completeness, soundness, and wholistic welfare.

These believers are experiencing significant stress from persecution, and knowing the God of Peace is the remedy.

Jeremiah

The prophet Jeremiah understood God’s peace. When Israel was exiled from the land and taken to Babylon the Lord, through Jeremiah, wrote:

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

The Hebrew for the word welfare is also translated in the NASB as peace. The word is Shalom (שָׁלֹום). This is the peace of God, the future hope that all is restored and made right again.

He then promises that the Israelites will find Him again. How He will restore their fortunes, and bring them back to the land when they call upon His name. It is not their efforts that restore them, but peace is given by God to those who seek Him.

Jesus

Jesus promises shalom. After exhorting his disciples of how they should keep His Words, Jesus reminds them,

John 14:25–26 ESV

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Here, Jesus says he will not be with his disciples for much longer. The Holy Spirit, who indwells all believers teaches us all things and helps us remember what Christ spoke to his disciples. As Christians, we need to remember that God’s Word tells us the Holy Spirit teaches us and reminds us of what is true. The Holy Spirit and the Scriptures don’t contradict one another.

But what about God’s Peace? Shalom?

John 14:27 ESV

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Jesus, the Son of God, gives us His peace. He mentions nothing of us earning it. We don’t gain it the way the world tempts us to think we earn it. It’s not luxury manufactured from the working backs of other people and kicking our feet up . It’s not an absence of conflict. It’s not a meditative state. It is one’s heart not being troubled. It is at rest. It is not being afraid. It is being confident in God.

1 John 5:12–15 ESV

12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

To have confidence in the work of God, is to have peace in God. All will be made right. It takes boldness to believe in what He has done and promises to do. It takes grit to believe. For those of us who believe in the name of Jesus Christ as the Son of God there is no exception you are a recipient of God’s Peace.

Rootedness in God’s peace allows us the confidence to preach and share the gospel of Christ to those who want to hurt us. God’s Spirit reminds us that we don’t need to depend on ourselves to do it. Actually, He reminds us that we can’t depend on ourselves at all. God’s Peace comes from God alone, and when we repent from false assurances of peace and turn to Him, He gives it freely.

The Risen Shepherd

Hebrews 13:20 ESV

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,

The Word “Pastor” is kind of weird isn’t it? We use it primarily in the church, but nowhere else. It’s used 18 times in the New Testament, but translated only once as “Pastor.” It’s an old French word and from a latin Word that means shepherd. The bible uses the term metaphorically and literally as a model for leadership.

God as Shepherd

God has been called a shepherd since Genesis. When the patriarch Israel blesses Joseph and his sons, he said,

Genesis 48:15 ESV

15 And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,

Israel knows of God’s care, guidance and protection.

The Psalmist also reflects on God being a shepherd.

God shepherd’s the nation of Israel out of Egypt.

Psalm 78:52 ESV

52 Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

We are the sheep of His pasture.

Psalm 100:3 ESV

3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

God has always been a shepherd to those who believe in His Word.

Jesus as Shepherd

Jesus uses the concept as a shepherd for Himself and his ministry. You probably remember the compassion Jesus had for the crowd in the story where he feeds the 5,000.

Mark 6:34 ESV

34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

Sheep, without a shepherd, have no protection. They have no one to guide them to food. They have no one to care for them.

In John 10. Jesus refers to himself as the “good shepherd. I want to read a portion of this passage this morning and reflect on Jesus’s position as the good Shepherd.

John 10:11 ESV

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Jesus is saying this knowing that he will lay down his life for his sheep. Then he goes further to describe his character and heart for his sheep.

John 10:12–16 ESV

12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

Everything about being the good shepherd relates to protection, knowing the shepherd’s voice, and a relationship with the Father. God unites Jews and Gentiles into one flock, united under his good shepherding.

John 10:17–18 ESV

17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

Only the good shepherd is able to lay down His life for the sheep. Only the good shepherd is able to pick it up again. Only the good shepherd is a risen shepherd.

Since he cannot die, his compassion is eternal as is his protection for his sheep. There is no bone that he cannot mend and there is no persecutor that can withstand his rod.

The writer of Hebrews is doing something very intentional here. He knows how the Old Testament writers saw God as the shepherd. He also knows that Jesus referred to himself as the “good shepherd.” By linking those two uses, he is telling his readers that Jesus is God we are sustained by him.

Christ sustains and holds everything together.

Colossians 1:15–20 ESV

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

We must be rooted in Jesus as the risen creator and sustainer of everyone and everything. We must be rooted in his eternal covenant.

For Jesus is not just the good Shepherd, he is the Lamb of God. How can He be both?

His Eternal Covenant

Hebrews 13:20 ESV

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,

Jesus knows how to be a sheep. He knows everything about the weakness and temptations that man encounters.

Hebrews 2:9–18 ESV

9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” 13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” 14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Later the writer of Hebrews quoted the new covenant from Jeremiah 31:31.

Hebrews 8:10 ESV

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

This covenant is established by the sacrificial blood of the ultimate Lamb of God, whose death on the cross guaranteed the ratification of sin through his victory over death, vindicated through his resurrection. Jesus’s life is eternal. The covenant he promised is eternal. An eternal covenant grants eternal life.

Transitional Statement

When we deal with our personal sin or even ways we don’t want to change or conform to our church we often do this justification game. Enneagram numbers and Meyers-Briggs results don’t justify our behavior, they are diagnostic of it.

I have never met a homeless person who told me he was homeless because of a personality test he took. I have met homeless people who saturated themselves with wrong beliefs and thinking. Who made choices as a result of those beliefs, that led to their circumstances.

I have family members who

You become like what you surround yourself with and what you plant yourself in. If you have concerns about sin you struggle with, character traits

Whatever we find ourselves planted in will affect the composition of our lives.

We need to reflect on the soil we’re rooted in now. It’s composed of three parts: God’s peace, the care of the Risen Shepherd, and the unbreakable, immutable eternal covenant promise of God.

We are rooted in His peace, his care, and his promise.

Expressions (v.21)

Hebrews 13:20–21 ESV

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, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

This is the expression of the benediction. What the delight of being rooted in the soil of faith looks like. It’s an equipping expression. It’s an enabling expression.

Equipping

“Equip” here can mean a few things and it can mean all of of them. It can mean, “to perfect,” “to make good,” “or “to mend.” To need equipping means that something isn’t perfect or good on its own. It’s broken and needs mended. The word in even older Greek was used when setting a broken bone. It’s healing, and restoring.

When the writer is praying this benediction, he is asking God through His Peace, Risen Shepherd, and eternal covenant to equip believers to do His will. To be mended and restored to do what is righteous before God. God equips us through all of these contained within His Word.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Can God put you back together so you can do His will, no matter what? Have you ever asked Him that? Do you read His Word as training in righteousness? Equipping takes time and discipline. God is patient, but the race is not yet over. But God will restore you, mend you, reset your broken bones, and equip you so that you may do His will. The good things, that which is pleasing in God’s sight, is what God will equip you with.

Enabling

Why does God equip us? Why does He mend us and set our broken bones? He does it for us to do something.

John 15:5 ESV

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

We are to bear fruit as believers in Christ. Works that please him.

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

If the soil of our faith is our God of Peace, His Risen Shepherd, and the eternal covenant, than it makes sense that our equipping enables us to reflect God’s peace, to shepherd others and lead them to Christ, making known His eternal covenant to all the world! But do we want it? Do we desire it? Then pray for it!

Glorify Jesus Christ

We are enabled to do the most unimaginable thing. We are called to glorify Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 13:21 ESV

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.

We glorify Him for His Peace. God desires peace for His people. Rejoice in His provision for you and your life!

We glorify Him for giving us the Great Shepherd. Where we cannot lead ourselves to safety or salvation, Christ has paid for our lives with His blood and guided us to safety. Rejoice in His compassion and care for you.

We glorify Him for THE eternal covenant. There is no other. God entered into a covenant with us. Praise Him for our new hearts.

We glorify Him because He has equipped and enabled us to do His will. To please Him! Even in trials and storms in our lives. Rejoice that He has chosen you to reflect His glory.

Conclusions (v. 22-24)

The writer of Hebrews concludes almost hilariously to our standards today.

Hebrews 13:22 ESV

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

A brief sermon for him is months of exposition for a preacher.

Hebrews 13:23–24 ESV

23 You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. 24 Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings.

This is a personal sermon from the writer. There is mutual care for the brother Timothy and greetings both for leaders and saints. His heart is with these people.

Ending (v. 25)

Rooted in God’s Peace, Eternal Covenant, and Risen Shepherd, we are equipped and enabled to give Christ all glory.

That which is working in us is what we are rooted in. Earth that produces no flowers or sick flowers needs tilled and fertilized. It may need new soil altogether. Examine your life this morning. A pleasing flower is a flourishing flower. It is given strength by what is brought into it from the ground, and the sun. What soil do you root yourself in? What equips you, or doesn’t equip you? Are you rooted in unfaithfulness to your spouse? An identity built around sexuality and pleasure? Does your cynicism push you away from leaders who want to care for you? Be mended by the God of peace who wants your life to reflect Him instead of your sinful desires. Rejoice. Live your lives rooted in the reality that no other ground compares to what God has provided for you. Run the race. Endure to the end. Receive what God has promised.

Pray