Consider Your Leaders - Hebrews 13:7;17-19

†CALL TO WORSHIP based on Hebrews 4:14-16

Elder Paul Mulner

Minister: We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens: Jesus, the Son of God.

Congregation: We hold fast our confession.

Minister: He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. In every respect he has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Congregation: Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

†PRAYER OF ADORATION AND INVOCATION

†OPENING HYMN OF PRAISE #308

“Good Christian Men, Rejoice”

†CONFESSION OF SIN AND ASSURANCE OF PARDON

based on 1 John 1:9; Daniel 9:18

Minister: We confess our sins to our holy God, knowing that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Congregation: Most gracious Father, you are holy, yet filled with mercy and steadfast love.

We confess to you: we have preferred the ways of this world to your ways, and we have rebelled against your wisdom. Incline your ear and hear. Receive our sorrows poured out before you. Forgive us, not because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy in the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ.

It is in his name that we pray, for he is our Savior and the mediator of the covenant of grace. Amen.

Minister: If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Christians, your sins are forgiven.

Congregation: Thanks be to God!

CONTINUAL READING OF SCRIPTURE Psalm 127 Pastor Austin Prince

This is the word of the Lord!

Psalm 127 ESV

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. 1 Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. 3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

THE OFFERING OF TITHES AND OUR GIFTS

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” (Malachi 3:10, ESV)

PASTORAL PRAYER & THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

†HYMN OF PREPARATION #294

“Song of Zechariah”

SERMON Hebrews 13:7; 17-19 // Consider Your Leaders

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION

We pray, that we, as those who Paul charged, may be filled with the knowledge of your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that we may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please you in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all the power, according to His glorious might, for the affirming of all steadfastness and patience. Amen.

TEXT Hebrews 13:7;17-19

Hebrews 13:7 ESV

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.

Hebrews 13:17–19 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. 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.

AFTER SCRIPTURE

Every word of God is perfect, let his people bless his Holy name.

Intro

When I was in college, my family took a trip to Hawaii. Of course, was beautiful, and the goal was to explore everything around us. At one cliff there was a hiking trail with a sign that said No Trespassing, with the exception of those accompanied by a guide.

But I was 21—and I didn't need a guide for anything.

I hiked down the path to a narrow ledge where the land drops off into a sheer wall, the waves of the Pacific crashing against it and spraying high into the air. It was beautiful—but also terrifying. We stayed for a while, watching turtles and crabs. When the tide went out, it exposed a cave. So, being 21, I jumped in and swam through the cave while I could.

If you're wondering, I didn't die. But it was incredibly foolish. When the tide came back in, it would completely covered the cave. The swell could easily have pulled me out to sea or smashed me into the rocks.

Later that week, we learned that someone died on that very trail while we were there.

There are many situations in life where we assume we don't need a guide—lots of places where we don't see the danger, or where pride keeps us from paying attention to any of the warnings.

It is not an uncommon warning in scripture to hear of the danger of drifting, or of following blind guides, or wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Hebrews 13 assumes something that we often take for granted — something pretty humbling: we are not meant to navigate the Christian life alone. God does not merely warn us of danger—He provides guides.

More than that, He provides them as a gift of Christ's present shepherding care. This passage teaches us that Christ governs His church through these means. In His kindness, He leads His people through faithful shepherds and He calls us to respond in four ways:

remembering them,

imitating their faith,

submitting to their care,

and praying for them.

1. Remember Your Leaders: The Word-Centered Nature of True Leadership (Hebrews 13:7)

"Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God." (Hebrews 13:7)

The author is clearly speaking about leaders in the church—those who spoke the Word of God to you.

Notice how leadership is defined first by speech, not strategy.

The leaders that were true were those who applied to us the medicine of God’s word. Their primary authority in the church is not charismatic (their personality), managerial (how efficient), or coercive. It is ministerial in that they applied the word to our life and to the confusion in our minds and to the comfort of our souls, and it is magisterial in that the word that is delivered to us is the sovereign word of God, the word which will not return void but will do that for which God intends —the word that pierces beyond flesh, into the soul of a man.

Church leaders do not invent a message; they receive one. They do not rule by personality; they serve by proclamation.

The Preciousness of Preaching as a Means of Grace

This is why preaching matters so deeply. Preaching is not merely instruction or inspiration. It is one of the ordinary means by which Christ Himself speaks to His people, creates faith, strengthens faith, and sustains perseverance.

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." (2 Timothy 4:1–5)

“He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:39–40, ESV)

A good teacher must be one who can see, and therefore them must be tethered to the Light of God’s word, the lamp unto our feet and light unto our path. The faithful leader above all else will influence you by the ministry of God’s word.

— Preach the glories of God’s word:

Arresting you from sin, healing your scars, telling you what is true about the world, about eternity, about your soul, about the meaning of your days. Inspiring you, stirring you up to love and good works. Pointing you to the person of Jesus. Stabilizing you.

Westminster Larger Catechism 155

"The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word, an effectual means of enlightening, convincing, and humbling sinners; of driving them out of themselves, and drawing them unto Christ."

God knew a time would come when people would not endure sound teaching, but would gather teachers to suit their own passions. Faithful leadership resists this drift—not because it is easy, but because souls are at stake.

Remembering Our Leaders

The Hebrew congregation here was tempted to leave Christ and try to go back to their old Jewish practices. The whole book has been about seeing Jesus as better. And here, the argument continues in that way in consideration of the leaders. Remember them. What did they give to bring you this good news? Many of them at this time gave their lives — they certainly risked them. Remember their effort and their passion to bring you the truth of Christ, the Substance over the shadow.

Remember also the fruit of their lives. Were they preaching a message of Christ and living without hope, without joy, or in hypocrisy? The call here is to actually look at those who are preaching the Word and paying attention to the hope that is in them.

Christ governs His church by His Word and Spirit, and He does so through officers whom He appoints for the good of His people. Leaders do not stand between you and Christ; they stand under Christ, pointing you to Him.

There are real cliffs that aren’t to be balked at. The dangers are real. And Christ, our Shepherd, speaks through His Word to guide His people safely home.

The command continues:

2. Imitate Their Faith (Hebrews 13:7)

"Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith." (Hebrews 13:7)

Now, it’s not lost on me the awkwardness of what I am saying to you: Imitate your leaders and I am one of your leaders. That’s either a pretty prideful thing to claim or a deeply humbling one. Pray for all of your leaders that it is the latter.

Notice that the focus is not imitation of a leader’s temperament, or their gifting, or personality, but of their faith—their trusting perseverance in Christ.

This is an important distinction. We are not called to imitate their faithfulness as though their obedience saved them—or ours. Faith alone unites us to Christ. Faith alone justifies. But genuine faith bears fruit, and it produces a visible pattern of life over time.

So, when you are considering your leaders we are told to consider the outcome of their way of life.

You might not make the same decisions in every area of life that your leaders make (school choices, rhythms of bible study or family devotion, vacation, spending money, hospitality) but you should take notice of the outcome of their life. Is there joy, and hope, and peace? Why is that? Where can you learn form them and pay attention? When they preach to you and the application is to

Paul says in 1 Cor that we have an abundance of teachers and gurus and influencers (if we were to use a modern phrase), but what we need is more Fathers.

Ask yourself:

Would I want to be shaped by their loves?

Would I want my children shaped by their priorities?

What about their marriages and children — see qualifications of Elders/Deacons

Scripture's qualifications for elders and deacons are almost entirely about character. Teaching ability is required for elders, but godliness is required for all.

You aren’t to imitate them because of their perfection—but because of their direction. In fact, acknowledging their imperfection can be a great help to you. Faithful leaders show us what repentance looks like, what endurance looks like, what ordinary joy in Christ looks like over decades.

Now, we don’t imitate men uncritically. We imitate their faith insofar as it followed Christ (1 Cor. 11:1).

Children learn this instinctively. They don't philosophize; they imitate.

And Jesus reminds us that greatness in His kingdom looks nothing like the world's model:

"Whoever would be great among you must be your servant…" (Matthew 20:24–28)

They show us what faith is to look like in real time. They embody the theology that they preach.

Consider your leaders and imitate them — Don’t think that it is just some personality trait or some special gifting or some unachievable knowledge that gives them hope and life and peace. By God’s grace, let them be guides to help you and shepherd you. Learn from them.

3. Obey and Submit to Shepherds (Hebrews 13:17)

"Obey your leaders and submit to them…" (Hebrews 13:17)

This is one of the most difficult commands in Scripture for modern ears. But the reason follows immediately.

They Watch Over Your Souls Under Christ

"They are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account." (Hebrews 13:17)

The image is of a watchman who stays awake while others sleep. Church leaders watch against false teaching, against discouragement, and against sin—not as owners of the flock, but as servants entrusted with it.

And they will give an account—not to the congregation ultimately, but to Christ Himself.

This is a heavy calling. Were they awake or asleep? Faithful or fearful? Gentle or harsh? Willing to speak hard truth when necessary? Willing to discipline themselves before disciplining others?

There is an implication here for the necessity of church membership — who is our flock? Who are our leaders? (could also put this on the section of leaders having to give an account)

We have seen great growth at COG this year. Over the next few Sundays during the Sunday school hour, we will be covering why COG was started and what we believe — this is a great time to consider joining as a member after sitting in on that class.

This authority is real—but it is derivative. It flows from Christ's kingship. Obedience to leaders is not ultimately about trusting men; it is about trusting Christ's wisdom in how He governs His church.

And Scripture never calls for blind obedience. Submission does not include submission to sin, silence in the face of abuse, or loyalty to leaders who refuse accountability. Discernment is not rebellion. But persistent refusal of all authority eventually leaves a Christian trusting no one but himself.

A church that cannot follow will eventually scatter.

4. For the Joy of the Shepherd and the Good of the Church (Hebrews 13:17)

"Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you." (Hebrews 13:17)

When a congregation is humble, teachable, and prayerful, leadership becomes a joy. When there is constant suspicion, resistance, or division, leadership becomes a burden.

And the text is clear: a groaning shepherd is no advantage to the sheep.

This is deeply practical.

- Be responsive to shepherding

- Show up

- Disagree graciously and directly—not through side conversations

- Love leaders' families and children; hold them to a generous standard

Let me say this plainly: you are a joy at COG. Leadership is a burden—but it is a glad one here. Help us bear it well.

5. Pray for Us (Hebrews 13:18–19)

“Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.” (Hebrews 13:18–19, ESV)

The author asks for prayer—for a clear conscience and honorable conduct in all things.

Pray for us when duty feels cold.

When discouragement sets in.

For our marriages and parenting.

When people leave.

When finances are tight

Pray for our officer training that is taking place now. Our church is growing and so is our need for faithful leadership

Martin Luther

"I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer."

Pray for a clear conscience:

Again, not perfection, but sincerity before God. And prayer is one of the means Christ uses to preserve both shepherds and sheep.

Conclusion: Christ, the Unchanging Shepherd

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)

Human leaders may fail, grow weary, or even prove to be wolves. But Christ never fails. He does not abandon His flock. He shepherds His people through appointed means, and He preserves them by His power.

Heidelberg Catechism, Q. 54

"The Son of God, through His Spirit and Word, gathers, protects, and preserves for Himself a community chosen for eternal life."

The church does not persevere because leaders are consistent, but because Christ is faithful.

The question is not merely whether you have leaders—but whether you are following Christ through the means He has appointed.

He is the Good Shepherd. He is the Chief Shepherd. And until the day He appears, we must follow wisely, shepherd faithfully, pray fervently, and trust Him fully.

†HYMN OF RESPONSE #306

“To Us a Child of Hope is Born”

THE MINISTRY OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

Minister: Lift up your hearts!

Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord.

Minister: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

Congregation: It is right for us to give thanks and praise!

CONFESSION OF FAITH

Nicene Creed p. 852

Congregation is seated.

INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE

The Israelites ate the Passover lamb with wine and unleavened bread. God had delivered them from Egypt and was their Shepherd through the wilderness to a land of milk and honey. Now, at this table, we receive by faith the body and blood of the true Passover Lamb, slain for us—the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the flock and took it up again. As we have been called to remember our leaders today, we begin by remembering Christ. He is the founder and perfecter of our faith, the head of the body, the Church.

This table welcomes all who belong to Christ through repentance, faith, baptism, and continuing union with his Church. If you do not repent of your sin, you must not come. If you do not trust in Christ alone for your salvation, you must not come. But if you confess your sin and rest in Christ, this table is for you. Come, taste and see that the Lord is good.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE ELEMENTS

//once all elements are received//

[motion to partake]

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

PRAYER

†OUR RESPONSE #572

“Gloria Patri”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end. Amen, amen.

†BENEDICTION: GOD’S BLESSING FOR HIS PEOPLE

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. 2 Thess. 2:16-17

Grace Notes Reflection

Hebrews 13 calls the church to consider their leaders. As guides given by Christ, they serve the congregation through the word of God, exemplify godliness in their way of life, and will be held accountable to Him for their labor.

This text challenges us to respond to our leaders in four ways:

Remember your leaders

By God's grace, they are worthy leaders to follow—taking you to places where God has already taken them. Remember their labor and the cost of leadership. Acknowledge with gratitude your leaders' efforts, and observe how Christ has shaped the outcome of their lives. They should lead you with a compelling vision painted by the word of God and illumined by their living example.

Imitate their faith

We aren't called to copy every decision our leaders make, but we should imitate their faith. What are their priorities? Where do they turn when trials come? How have they demonstrated repentance or courage?

Obey and submit to them

Unless they lead you into sin or folly, don't be resistant, unresponsive, or quarrelsome. Recognize that your leaders are there to serve and govern the church because Christ has chosen to rule His church this way. Give attentive ears to their teaching and great weight to their concerns and instruction.

Pray for them

Support them and their families by asking God for increasing grace in their lives. Be glad to see them grow, be strengthened, and become more joyful, that they may be even better servants to you.