Message
Hebrews 13:7-17
Being Led
When you read through your Bible, especially the New Testament, you will regularly come across headings. The purpose of the headings is to give guidance on the different sections of Scripture that part of the same topic or section.
The technical term for this is “pericope”.
A pericope is section of Scripture that forms one coherent unit, or coherent thought, that can be used to identify a section to meditate or preach on.
It is an interesting topic for another time, but there are all sorts of indicators that are used to try and help define a pericope.
One of those ways is to look for a repeated word at the beginning and end of the pericope.
Turn in your bible to Hebrews 13:7-17
Here is a pericope.
In verse 7 we have the command – remember your leaders.
In verse 17 there is another command – have confidence in your leaders and submit to them.
Between these verse we have a series of teachings.
Not being carried away by all kinds of strange teaching.
The sacrifice work that takes place outside the camp.
Offering the a good sacrifice of praise.
When you look at the teaching it seems to have a bit of randomness to it. But on each side is this command regarding leaders.
So, because of this structure, it is quite legitimate to come to the conclusion that these seemingly random teachings have a connection with remembering leaders and having confidence in the leaders.
So as we have a commissioning of our new leaders today, we are going to have a closer look at what this teaching is, and what some applications of this teaching has for us today.
The first word in this section is a command.
Remember – keep on remembering your leaders
Not the remembering which is – “Do you remember the name of your second cousin married to that aunty we never see anymore?”
Remembering here is a recall of significant and powerful memories.
Paul says to the converted Gentiles in Ephesians 2:12
Remember that you (formerly) were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
The reason Paul asks them to remember is because He wants them to think about the implications and impact of their situation. Their whole spiritual status and spiritual reality has changed. It is a “strong” remembering moment.
Another one of those moments is here.
Remember – keep on remembering your leaders
The author of Hebrews wants the memory of leaders to bring about a strong spiritual reaction.
The leaders will have a spiritual impact.
What is that impact?
Well, there is a second command in this verse.
Imitate – keep on imitating your leaders
You look to the leaders and remember, you see their lives and their actions and their faith, and the outcomes of their ministry, and then you imitate them.
Hebrews is not the only place where this imitation is encouraged.
Paul, Silas and Timothy are in the title of the letter to the Thessalonians.
6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
1 Thessalonians 1:6-7
In this case the Thessalonians are imitators who become worthy to imitate – others were looking at their example.
When you imitate your leaders it can be a great spiritual blessing – until it isn’t. John the disciples writes,
9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 10 So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.
3 John 9-11
Some leaders are memorable – but for all the wrong reasons.
So … here is the issue.
Which leaders do we imitate?
Closely aligned with that is another question … to leaders.
Is the memory you are creating as a leader worth imitating?
Direction and discernment to help answer these questions can be found in verses 8-16.
Verse 8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.
This is a power reminder of the eternity of Jesus. His consistency. His divinity. His sovereignty. These truths are being spoken in context of leadership and following leaders.
When we think about the leadership of Jesus and His connection to the church Scripture tells us.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church …
Colossians 4:17-18
As the one who is powerful, sovereign and over the church He is going to be the same yesterday, today and forever and so we can rely … as we trust in faith in Him … to provide consistency in the leadership even when there is change.
The command to imitate leaders is not one we follow because of the inherent capacity of the individual leader. Rather it is a call to follow to faithful leaders who are living in response to a faithful Jesus Christ who is constant.
When Jesus is the constant in the lives of the leaders that consistency will be evident.
What will that consistency look like?
Here is a list from 1 Timothy 3
above reproach
temperate
self-controlled
respectable
hospitable
able to teach
not given to drunkenness
not violent but gentle
not quarrelsome
not a lover of money
able to manage their family
Jesus describe leadership this way
25 Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave
Matthew 20:25-27
When a leader has a consistent relationship with Jesus
… the One who is the head of the church and provides for the church.
… the One who is the same yesterday and today and forever.
When we remember leaders like that …
When we seek to be leaders like that …
Then there is a leader worth imitating.
Verse 9
Leaders worth imitating will make sure we are not carried away by strange teachings
The danger of strange teaching was a significant New Testament this concern. In Ephesians Paul talks about the importance of preachers and teachers and leaders quipping the body because
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
Ephesians 4:14
The danger of leaders who brought strange teaching was also a significant concern.
12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm – shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted – twice dead.
Jude 12
When the teachers are blown along in the wind by strange teaching then the church will be blown along as well. The only way for teachers not to be blown away is for those teachers to be people of the Word.
And let me be really clear here – this is not an issue of knowledge.
That the one who has –
… actually I’ll put it this way
… that the one who thinks they have
- the greatest knowledge of the Scripture is not the one who we leads.
The Pharisees had the greatest level of knowledge of all – Jesus constantly questioned their leadership.
Paul had great knowledge as an ex-Pharisee and converted believer.
His assessment of the “knowledge” was this:-
I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:8).
Knowledge – even extensive Biblical knowledge – is not what stops people being carried along by strange teaching.
It is wisdom.
Wisdom comes when we read the Word, but also actively apply that word daily.
Wisdom is evident because the wisest ones are also the most humble ones.
Wisdom is lived Christianity that is so evident everyone can see it.
It comes through knowing the Bible … but not just knowing the Bible for knowledge sake.
Knowing the Bible as a place of relationship, and growth, and transformation, and prayer, listening, and hearing, and responding, and repenting, and serving.
When we remember and see wise leaders who are not carried away because they are wise …
When we seek to be wise leaders who are not carried away because they are wise …
Then there is a leader worth imitating.
Now the next part …
Verses 10-16
To do any sort of justice to what is happening here in verses 10-16 we would need a whole other sermon. There is so much going on. But we can see the main thrust of what the writer of Hebrews is doing.
We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.
(Hebrews 13:10)
The issue is one of “us” and “them”.
“Us” being the people to whom Hebrews is written – people who are Christians but who are predominantly from a Jewish background.
“Them” being the ones connected to the tabernacle – so Jewish people who are still unconverted to Christianity.
11 … the bodies (of sacrificed animals) are burned outside the camp.
12 … Jesus suffered outside the city gate.
13… let us go to Him outside the camp.
Hebrews 13:11-13
The author here is reflecting on the sacrifices as they took place on the day of atonement – especially this aspect
The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; their hides, flesh and intestines are to be burned.
Leviticus 16:27
And in this unusual … some would even say daring … interpretation he connects that outside of the camp burning, with the outside of the city death of Jesus, with us meeting Jesus outside.
What is being emphasised here is on the complete break between the Jewish religion and the Christian faith.
Outside the gate was the place of rejection – rejection by all of Jerusalem
It was the place where carcasses were buried and where criminals were crucified.
It is a place of disgrace … but outside the gate is the place that brings us towards Jesus.
We run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2
Going outside the gate is a summons … a call to a life of distinctive discipleship, where we take up our cross, live in self-denial, and accept the shame and disgrace.
For the original readers this was a call out of a way of life with which they were comfortable and which was convenient – as long as you fit in. Meeting Jesus outside the camp meant putting that life behind them and making a distinct break and not fitting in.
Just as much today we live in a world where the constant call is to be comfortable and to experience all the convenience and pleasure life offers – as long as you fit in.
The calling of church leaders is to lead the church in such a way that we don’t just fit in.
We see the distinctive call of the Gospel.
We focus on the uniqueness of Jesus and what that means for our lives.
We encourage, and help, and carry, and share, and love and live, and grow, and inspire, and commit, and build-up one another to see the essential and distinctive call of the church.
When we remember and see wise leaders who equip us to be distinct …
When we seek to be wise leaders who are not worldly but very distinct …
Then there is a leader worth imitating.
Remember and imitate … the leader
In God’s grace … be the leader
… who has a consistency in their relationship with Jesus.
… who is biblically wise.
… who is equipping the church to be distinct.
When these leaders are in place.
Elected and appointed.
Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
Hebrews 13:17
Godly leaders are not there to serve themselves – but the Lord who put them in place.
Godly leaders should have our confidence and support and be honoured as they lead.
Leadership in the church should be a joy – so support the leaders to make it a joy.
There is no benefit to anyone to make the ministry of the leaders a burden – so don’t be the cause of burdens.
Today we are blessed with a new group of leaders – and newly combined church council.
We as leaders will make the commitment to the be servant leaders NEC needs.
Together as a congregation we make the commitment to remember, imitate, have confidence in and submit.
NEC
In fellowship together
Being Led.
Prayer
