Final Instructions Part Two

28 [Christ] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. (Colossians 1:28, ESV)

As we saw in Hebrews 6:1-2, many of them were trapped in immaturity, and needed to be constantly reminded of the elementary doctrine of Christ, and repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

The text isn’t saying that these doctrines are immature, but that those who constantly need the foundational doctrines established are immature. They need to begin growing in Christ. If they don’t, it may well be a sign that they aren’t actually yet saved.

TRANSITION: What does it mean to go on to maturity? Hebrews 13:10-17 gives us an idea, by calling us to live mature, Christ-centered lives in three specific areas, beginning with the reproaches of the world.

ACCEPT THE WORLD’S REPROACH

We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. (Hebrews 13:10–14, ESV)

Let us go to Jesus outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured. What does that mean? Jesus was rejected, hated, mocked, abused, cursed, marginalized, dismissed, lied about, and insulted by the world. He told His disciples just hours before His arrest,

John 15:18-20

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours.” (John 15:18–20, ESV)

The world did everything it could to shame Jesus, but Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame. Everything they cursed and mocked and abused Him for, He came to do in obedience to the Father, to glorify the Father’s name.

So we who are in Christ are not to hide in the world, hoping we aren’t discovered, and only grudgingly acknowledging Jesus if we are. We are to gladly go to Him outside the camp, outside the gate, where the world has banished Him.

The Lord reminds us of two incredible privileges we have in Him. First, we have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the most part, only the priests were allowed to eat of certain sacrifices offered in the desert tabernacle or the temple in Jerusalem. But we have an infinitely greater altar: the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. The world mocks what we have in Christ, but so what? We are rich beyond compare. And second, while it is true that we have no lasting city on earth, no place to truly call our own, what we do have is the city that is to come. That is the city that we have seen described in previous chapters, the city that has foundations, whose designed and builder is God (Hebrews 11:10), a better country, a heavenly one, a city prepared for us by God (Hebrews 11:16), the city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22).

Maturity accepts the world’s reproach because of the priceless privilege of being joined to Christ. So to put it bluntly, who cares what the world thinks? Instead of compromising to avoid conflict – denying Jesus just like Peter did – let’s boldly claim Him as our Lord and Savior.

TRANSITION: As those who don’t care what the world thinks, but are glad to be joined to Christ, then let us do His work in spiritual maturity.

DO JESUS’ WORK

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. (Hebrews 13:15–16, ESV)

What did Jesus come to do? He came to glorify God, and He came to serve His people.

GLORIFY GOD

Jesus prayed in John 17,

[Father] … I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do. (John 17:4, ESV)

The Lord calls us to live for the same purpose. First Corinthians 10:31 commands, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Our words are part of that glorification. Having been eternal joined to Jesus Christ, through Him let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, which is the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.

Where does maturity come in? In that word “continually”. This is unconditional praise. It is not based on our present experience, but on His eternal worth. First Thessalonians 5:18 says give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. The blessings of God so greatly exceed the circumstances of our lives that there is never a moment when praise is out of place. What about when we face truly hard times, when our circumstances seem to be crushing us? It is in those moments, most of all, when our praise to God is a sacrifice of praise, not offered because we are pleased, but because He is worthy. In those moments, when we vocally praise Him, we declare that His glory never fades. We proclaim for all to hear that our joy is in Him, our hope is in Him, our love is for Him; we declare His goodness, His holiness, His protection, His wisdom, His grace, His mercy.

Speaking of sacrifices, Jesus also came to serve God’s people, and that is our job as well.

SERVE GOD’S PEOPLE

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. (Hebrews 13:16, ESV)

Hebrews 6:10

The Hebrews were not strangers to doing good and sharing with others.

For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for His name in serving the saints, as you still do. (Hebrews 6:10, ESV)

But even faithful people can get tired, or distracted, or bored. The word ‘neglect’ doesn’t means to ignore or overlook, it means to forget, to let something slip your mind. If our primary motivation for service is how we feel about someone’s need, then when our feelings diminish or change, our service to them will very likely change as well. But if our primary motivation for service is the glory of God, and someone else’s good, then we are less likely to forget. In any case, we need to keep reminding ourselves to keep doing good, to keep sharing with those in need.

Second Thessalonians 3:13

As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. (2 Thessalonians 3:13, ESV)

TRANSITION: We’ve seen that maturity means gladly bearing the reproach of Christ, and continuing to do the work of God. Maturity also means being led and governed by the Lord Jesus.

SUBMIT TO THE LORD

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 13:17, ESV)

Hebrews 13:17 is certainly one of the most provocative statements in Scripture. A lot of people are flat out offended at the mere idea that they should obey and submit to someone else. Of course, the very nature of sin is rebellion against authority, whether it is God’s authority, governmental authority, parental authority, or any other sort.

Well, the Scripture says what it says without apology, and so we must face it without rebellion: obey your leaders and submit to them.

But we must understand these words in the context of Scripture. No human leader has any inherent authority at all. Jesus Christ is the Lord of His church. He has given us the Bible as our sole source of truth, infallible and inerrant. And to ensure that we know His Word, He has placed men in the church to serve as pastor-elder-overseers. The primary job of pastors and elders and overseers is to proclaim and teach the Scriptures to the church.

Second Timothy 4:1-2

That’s why Paul spoke so strongly to Timothy:

I charge you [this makes these words a formal and sober ordination; there is no stronger charge in the Bible] in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus [the witnesses to our ordination are the Father and the Son themselves], who is to judge the living and the dead [just a reminder, pastor-elder-overseers will be judged for their faithfulness to this ordination], and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach [announce, proclaim aloud, make known] the Word [given the enormous weight of this command, nothing else may be taught]; be ready in season and out of season [that is, whether or not it’s popular or acceptable or desired]; reprove [identify sin], rebuke [rebuke those in sin], and exhort [faithfulness to Christ, confession and repentance], with complete patience and teaching [for the rest of your life]. (2 Timothy 4:1–2, ESV)

The pastor’s role is to teach the church everything that Jesus has given the church in the written Word. That is how pastors watch over our souls: by teaching us what the Lord says in His Word.

It’s so important that we understand this. The church is not under the authority of human leaders, but of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has spoken clearly in His Word. Our leaders have the heavy responsibility of faithfully preaching the Scriptures, and only the Scriptures, for the sake of our growth in Christ. And our response is to be obedience and submission.

Do we obey and submit because those men have earned the right to our obedience and submission? No.

Or do we obey and submit because those men have the power to force our submission? No.

We are to obey and submit because of what they teach, not because of who they are.

James tells us that not many should become teachers, because we who teach will be judged with greater strictness (James 3:1). On the day of judgment I will be held accountable for what I taught. The question I will face is, Did I preach the Word or not? The fact of that judgment is the heaviest weight in my life; the only thing I really fear is failing to preach the Word.

Hebrews 13:17 goes on to say that we are to obey and submit to those who teach us the Word, so that they when they give an account of their teaching they can be joyful and not sorrowful.

On the day I give account for my teaching I will learn what the impact of my teaching was.

Obviously, the first question is did I clearly and accurately present the Gospel to those apart from Christ? Did I accurately and faithfully teach God’s Word to God’s people? Did I faithfully expose sin? Did I faithfully correct those in error? Did I training believers in righteousness through the Scriptures?

But the next question should be just as obvious: if I was faithful on my part, what was the fruit of my labor?

You know, you can plant something like arugula or radishes and have a crop in two months. You can harvest corn in a few months. It takes eighteen months for pineapples to grow. But it will take decades and decades for the fruit of my teaching to be revealed. And here’s the wonderful thing. You and I have a part to play in one another’s joy. MY part in YOUR joy is to faithfully teach you the Word of your Lord and Savior, so that you know Him better, love Him more deeply, trust Him to a greater depth, serve Him with a greater passion, rejoice in Him more completely, so that your life is fruitful. And YOUR part in MY joy is to let the Word of God do its work in you, so that at the end of your life and mine I can rejoice that my was fruitful.

TRANSITION: Most of the remaining verses, Hebrews 13:18-25, are personal words between the writer and his original recipients, but I do want to turn your attention to the benediction as we close.

BENEDICTION

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, 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. (Hebrews 13:20–21, ESV)

A benediction is not wishful thinking, but a statement of confidence in God’s blessing. If your faith is in Jesus Christ, then you are a child of the God of peace. He has promised to equip you with everything you need to do His will. He has promised to work in you everything that pleases Him. This is not dependent on your ability, but on His promise, and the sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ and His atonement.

As we close, then, I want you to remember that since God has promised to equip you to do His will, you CAN do His will through Jesus Christ. Since God has promised to work in you that which is pleasing in His sight, He WILL bring you to perfect maturity in Christ. I urge you to take these promises seriously, and to live in light of them. There are no second-class Christians; there are no bench warmers in the race; not one of God’s children will be bypassed for any reason.

So let me say these words again as we bring Hebrews to a close:

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, 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. (Hebrews 13:20–21, ESV)

Related Media

Related Sermons