Hebrews 13:17-25

How do we worship, walk, work and witness better in 2026? Hebrews 12-13 has taught us how to look toward Jesus as we run the race set before us. For many Christians, endurance isn’t the hard part. Running the race is the challenge because it calls us to live a different life.

In these final verses, we get some insight about the writer of Hebrews. While the individual is still unknown, it seems he has history with this group of Jewish Christians. It seems there might be tension between leadership and the church. It seems there might be a need for restoration. I can feel the pressure of these verses. I can imagine the heart cultivation that was required to write these words. I have engaged with the hard, internal soul work required to give this type of exhortation. If the writer was in the middle of any church tension, motives and attitudes and egos all needed to be checked, potential sin needed to be confessed, potential wrongs needed to be made right, gaps in holiness needed to be revealed, and the writer needed to surrender to the Holy Spirit’s conviction in his own life.

Friends, there are certainly applications that we can draw for every relationship in our life, but the context is church leaders and a congregation. Here are three decision opportunities as we end our study in Hebrews.

Decision #1 - Willfully support your church leaders

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.

Verse 17 gives three reasons why we should support church leaders.

The first reason is church leaders are appointed by God. The Bible tells us to obey and submit. I’m grateful these are God’s words and not mine. The reality is that every leader in our life, not only church leaders, are appointed by God for the edification of the saints.

Romans 13:1–3 - “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.

1 Peter 2:13–17 - “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”

John 13:20 - “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.””

The second reason is church leaders care for individual souls to the best of their ability as much as a person will allow.

Titus 2:11–15 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.”

Acts 20:28 “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”

The third reason is church leaders need your encouragement. As church leaders try to faithfully watch over church member’s souls, “let them do this with joy and not with groaning.” Throughout chapters 12 and 13, we have said that what each of us does in this building and how well each of us deepen our relationships with this local church matters. We learned that spiritual fruitfulness or spiritual infertility is the result. Now, in verse 17, we’re learning another layer of the significance. Your efforts and my efforts bring joy to ministry. The verse also tells us the opposite is true; your efforts and my efforts bring groaning to ministry. Without our collective efforts bringing joy to ministry, there is no advantage. When collective joy in unseen, spiritual fertility is not far behind.

Decision #2 - Willfully pray for your church leaders

Hebrews 13:18–19 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.

I think there are three appropriate prayers in these verses.

The first prayer is for unshared needs that church leaders might have. There is an undisclosed reason that restoration is needed. We can presume the reader was familiar with this particular situation, but that isn’t always the case. We have greater unity in person when we are mutually connected in prayer.

The second prayer is for church leaders to have Christ-exalting faithfulness. To the Word of God. To sound doctrine. To prayer. To moral integrity. To his wife and family. To ministry.

The third prayer is for church leaders to be convicted of personal sin. An unclear conscience and dishonorable desires prohibits worship. We cannot cherish sin and cherish the Lord at the same time. We cannot walk with biblical wisdom while we hold hands with religious liberty and free will.

Decision #3 - Willfully contribute for the advancement of the gospel and the glory of God.

Hebrews 13:20–25 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. 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.

The God of peace brought Jesus out of the grave and exalted him to the right hand of the Father. Christ’s resurrection guarantees that you and I, as believers, will be resurrected and given eternal life. Until that day comes, we aren’t unequipped, powerless, dead Christians laying in a spiritual grave waiting our eternal life.

Verse 21 tells us we are equipped and sanctified with everything good for three reasons.

The first reason - We might do his will with his attitude. Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.””

Philippians 2:1–11 “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The second reason - Our implementation would be pleasing in his sight

The third reason - Jesus Christ would be glorified in all things.