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They turn in your Bibles to Hebrews 
chapter 13. Hebrews 13. We're going to look at the passage 
that we studied on Wednesday night, but it deserved a bit 
of broader application in the life of our church. For those 
of you who were here on Wednesday, consider this a bit of review, 
as I am certain We all stand in need of this type of review. Hebrews 13, we're going to focus 
this evening on verses 7 to 19, but I do want to read from verse 
1. Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, 
for by so doing, some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember 
the prisoners as if chained with them, those who are mistreated, 
since you yourselves are in the body also. Marriage is honorable 
among all, and the bed undefiled. But fornicators and adulterers 
God will judge. Let your conduct be without covetousness. Be content with such things as 
you have. For He Himself has said, I will 
never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say, The Lord 
is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me? Remember 
those who rule over you. who have spoken the word of God 
to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. 
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be 
carried about with various and strange doctrines, for it is 
good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which 
have not profited those who have been occupied with them. We have 
an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no 
right to eat. for the bodies of those animals 
whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest 
for sin are burned outside the camp. Therefore, Jesus also, 
that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered 
outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to 
him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For here we have 
no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. Therefore, by 
him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, 
that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. But 
do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices 
God is well pleased. Obey those who rule over you 
and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls as those who 
must give account. Let them do so with joy and not 
with grief. for that would be unprofitable 
for you. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, 
grant us grace now to consider your Holy Word. Grant us grace 
to not only be hearers, but to be doers of that Word. And God, 
for this we cry out, for the ministry and aid of your Spirit, 
not just so we may understand, but so that we may apply, so 
that we may leave from this place into a new week, zealous and 
ready and earnest to bring glory to you and to do good to others. We just ask now that you would 
bless our study, and we pray through Christ Jesus our Lord. 
Amen. Well, the book of Hebrews up 
to this point has been largely concerned with doctrine. All 
the way from chapters 1 to chapter 12, we see the doctrine specifically 
of the priestly office of Jesus Christ, his atoning sacrifice 
for sinners. Chapter 13 is a collection of 
various exhortations based on that work of our Lord Jesus. 
Notice specifically in verses 1-6, there is a call for the 
Christian to engage in brotherly love. He does this by being hospitable 
toward strangers. He does this by being compassionate 
toward those who are in chains. The Christian is to engage in 
marital fidelity. We are to acknowledge the fact 
that God has given those relationships to be enjoyed in a covenantal 
context. Then he calls us to engage in 
contentment. I love the way he says in verse 
5, let your conduct be without covetousness. Be content with 
such things as you have, for He Himself has said, I will never 
leave you nor forsake you. Based on what He has said in 
terms of His faithfulness toward us, so we may boldly say, The 
Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me? So love, hospitality, compassion, 
fidelity and contentment are to be practiced by the believer. Well, as we pick up here in verses 
7 to 17, we'll make five observations, again, some concluding exhortations 
from the book. The first is the encouragement 
to remember former leaders. Secondly, there is a reminder 
of the unchanging Christ. Third, there is a call, a specific 
encouragement by the author to highlight the need for doctrinal 
fidelity. Fourthly, he enters into this 
discussion or this idea concerning the altar that we have as believers, 
and then he ends this section in verse 17 with an exhortation 
to remember current leaders. The beginning is remember former 
leaders, the end is remember current leaders, and then those 
sundry and various exhortations in between. Well, let's look 
first of all at verse 7, the encouragement to remember former 
leaders, remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the 
word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome 
of their conduct. More than likely, it is a call 
to remember former leaders, those who had at one time spoken the 
word to them, but had now since died. We need to remember, the 
Bible says that beautiful are the feet of those who bring the 
good tidings to you. It is good to remember the scriptures 
that you have been taught. It's good to understand that 
God, though sovereign, uses human instruments. These men had exercised 
the ministry of the Word. That's what verse 7 means, or 
the specific statement concerning those who rule over you. Pastors 
or ministers or elders in the church don't rule like a cult 
leader. They don't tell you to drink 
the Kool-Aid. They don't tell you to engage in anything unlawful 
or ungodly. The way or means by which elders 
in Christ's Church rule is through the proclamation of the truth, 
the faithful exposition and application of God's Holy Word. Remember, 
they're referred to as shepherds. A job of the shepherd is to feed 
the flock. to tend to the flock, to lead 
the flock, care for the flock, pray for the flock. And so He 
is telling them or reminding them about those who had served 
them well. He speaks specifically of this 
duty to remember and to consider. Notice in verse 7, toward the 
end, considering the outcome of their conduct. Again, I believe 
these are men who had gone on to their prize. They had served 
well. They had served faithfully. The 
date of this book was probably the mid-60s. The churches of 
Jerusalem were founded early in the 30s. So it was a sufficient 
amount of time for men to have been ministering the Word over 
a period of years and ultimately died and gone to their prize. 
And so the author here, having exhorted them back in chapter 
12 to run with endurance the race set before you, looking 
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, remembering this great 
cloud of witnesses, he says also remember those former preachers 
who had been faithful in teaching you the Word. And also the implication 
is not only consider the outcome of their conduct, but imitate 
that conduct. imitate them insofar as they 
have imitated Jesus Christ. Yes, we're looking unto Jesus, 
but we need godly examples around us. In Philippians 3, verse 17, 
the apostle exhorts the church that we are to scope out, we 
are to be on the lookout for those who are godly, those who 
pursue Christ, those whom we can look at and follow, those 
who would be able to say, imitate me as I imitate the Lord Jesus 
Christ. The author doesn't want them 
just to remember and speak fondly. Wow, they were really excellent 
preachers. We learned a lot from them. No, their faith followed. Look at the outcome of their 
lives. They were faithful men. They have passed on to glory. 
Don't forget that. Very often in our Christian lives 
we begin to become isolationists. We think that we're the only 
ones. We're the only ones who have ever had trial. We're the 
only ones that have ever had difficulty. We're the only ones 
that have ever had problems or issues. That's why that call 
in Hebrews 12. Therefore, being surrounded by 
so great a cloud of witnesses. And here in Hebrews 13.7, remember 
those who spoke the word. Did they live lives that were 
untainted? Did they live lives that were 
unaffected? Did they just skate through life 
and sing Zippity-Doo-Dah and skip their way into heaven? No, 
if they were faithful preachers of God's Word, no doubt they 
suffered. If they were faithful preachers 
of God's Word, no doubt they were abused, they were misaligned, 
they were mistreated. So remember them, consider them, 
with a view to imitating them. Now notice, secondly, he speaks 
of the unchanging Christ in verse 8. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, 
today, and forever. As we mentioned on Wednesday 
night, there is no connecting word at the beginning of verse 
8. And what a connecting word is, 
is a word, get this, that connects. Very often you'll see the word 
and, or you'll see the word but, or you'll see the word for, or 
you'll see the word therefore, or you'll see a contrast, and 
the word is or. Here there is no connecting word 
whatsoever. It's almost as if he took this 
high doctrine of Jesus Christ in what we call his immutability, 
that means he does not change, and he plonks it right down in 
between two various exhortations. I think the reason he does this 
is because the verse, verse 8, goes backwards and it goes forwards. Notice how it functions with 
reference to verse 7. The comfort of the doctrine. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday 
and today and forever. He is reminding them to consider 
former leaders. He is reminding them to consider 
men who have died as a result of being physical men. They have 
died and passed on to their prides. They will no longer have the 
benefit of these preachers. They will no longer have the 
benefit of their ministry. What a great encouragement to 
realize that though human leaders may die, Jesus Christ is the 
same yesterday, today, and forever. He is reliable. He is unshakable. He is immovable. And though you 
may live to a ripe old age and see a lot of preachers come and 
a lot of preachers go, you may see some that were better at 
the Word, others not as good. All that being the same, there 
is one who will never leave, one who never forsakes, and it 
is Jesus Christ. We see a similar pattern in Isaiah 
6. In the year that King Uzziah 
died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted. The prophet Gates is 
called to the prophetic ministry in the year that King Uzziah 
died. I think the implication is that a godly king of Judah 
has passed on. A godly king of Judah is now 
gone. But the fact of the matter is 
that Jesus Christ is in the throne room where he exercises sovereign 
control and rule and reign. So come what may, in terms of 
human leaders, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today 
and forever. Peter T. O'Brien says the Christological 
confession, this statement of verse 8, would remind them that 
the same Christ who was real to them at the beginning when 
their former leaders were with them, is seated in heaven and 
rules continually. Their circumstances and perspective 
may change, but Jesus Christ and his gospel do not. Christ's 
help, grace, and power are permanently at his people's disposal. He 
never needs to be replaced, and nothing can be added to his perfect 
work. Beautiful sentiment, and I think 
it accurately reflects the function of verse 8 with reference to 
verse 7. But consider how it affects verse 
9. Verse 9 is a call to pursue doctrinal fidelity. Do not be 
carried about with various and strange doctrines. It's no accident 
that he sets forth Christ in verse 8. Jesus Christ is the 
same yesterday, and today, and forever. Do not go after strange 
and various doctrines. The implication is simple. When 
you have Christ, you have everything. When you have the gospel, you're 
rich. When you have salvation by grace 
through faith in the Redeemer, you don't need the latest fad. 
You don't need the latest gimmicks. You don't need the latest self-help 
program. You don't need anything save 
the finished work of our Lord Jesus. John Calvin comments here, 
and doubtless variety of opinions, every kind of superstition, all 
monstrous errors in a word, all corruptions in religion arise 
from this, that man abide not in Christ alone. For it is not 
in vain that Paul teaches us that Christ is given to us by 
God to be our wisdom. So verse 8 looks backwards to 
verse 7 and it looks forward to verse 9. But what a world 
of encouragement there is in verse 8, if we were just to pull 
it out for just a moment. I shared with the people on Wednesday 
night, and I know I've shared before on the pulpit, a friend 
of mine went into a pastor's office and he saw a sign on the 
wall that said, and today. My friend said, what's that all 
about? That's Hebrews 13, verse 8. Jesus 
Christ did the same yesterday, and today, and forever. When 
he asked for an explanation, the pastor said, you know, I 
have no problem. considering the power of Jesus Christ in 
the past. I have no problem considering 
God opening up the Red Sea and the people of Israel walking 
through untainted. I have no problem with what God 
has done as revealed in the Holy Scripture. He said, I have no 
problem with the future. I know that Jesus is going to 
return. I know that He is going to vindicate His elect. I know 
that He is going to usher in an eternal state. He says, the 
problem I have is right now. I need to know that Jesus Christ 
is the same today. I can't live based on what God 
has done in the past, so I need that for my encouragement. I 
can't live based on what God will do in the future, though 
I need that for my encouragement. I need to consider that each 
and every day, my today, right now, Jesus Christ is the same. He is not changing. He is not 
forsaking me. He is not leaving me. He is not 
abandoning me. He is going to see me through 
the trials and the tribulations and the difficulties and the 
issues that I face. There is a world of encouragement 
in what we call Christology, the doctrine of Jesus Christ. He is the same yesterday, and 
today, and forever. Believer, get your minds and 
hearts wrapped around that. He's not a fair weather fan. 
He is not just with you when things are going well. We often 
interpret providence that way. When we are being blessed, we 
feel the presence of the Lord. That kind of doctrine will only 
promote a lack of joy and comfort when we go through seasons of 
grief. Are we to suppose that in our 
trials, in our difficulties, in our issues, in our problems, 
Jesus has forsaken us? There is a whole school of teaching 
out there that would indicate that such is the case. They call 
themselves the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel. I don't 
know if they call them that, it's a pejorative term and a 
fitting term for what they teach. But as long as things are going 
well, you have faith and God is favorable towards you. But 
the moment that seasons of distress have come, trials or issues have 
happened, you must not have faith and God has withdrawn. Brethren, 
any Christian that can look back over his life realizes that at 
the most severe time, that was when God was most powerfully 
with them. It is only in those seasons of 
grief. It is only in those seasons of 
trial. It is as if the world is collapsing 
around you, that God is the one seeing you through. Jesus Christ 
is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. We need to be reminded 
of His immutability. And again, kids, immutability 
is a big word that means He doesn't change. This is something predicated 
or stated with reference to God. In the prophet Malachi, he says, 
I, the Lord, do not change. That is a characteristic of deity. So the fact that the apostle 
here ascribes this to the Lord Jesus is telling us that as Christian 
brothers and sisters, your Savior is in fact God. Notice thirdly, 
the need for doctrinal fidelity. There's a prohibition. Do not 
be carried about with various and strange doctrines. Don't 
do it. What are the various and strange 
doctrines? We could probably mention a whole bunch of them. 
Anything that would take us from the finished work of Jesus. Anything 
that would cause us to trip up. Anything that would cause us 
to stumble. And you know, unfortunately, sometimes in the Christian life, 
it's almost as if we get bored with truth. It's almost as if 
we get bored with sound theology. We want our ears tickled. We 
want the razzle dazzle. We want the fireworks display. 
We're not into the normal. We're not into the plotting. 
We're not into the perseverance. Give us the razzmatazz. Give 
us the bells and whistles. Well, brethren, there's always 
somebody peddling those bells and whistles. You need the faithful 
exposition of God's Word. You need to be rooted firmly 
in sound doctrine because the temptation is there to be carried 
about with various and strange doctrines. Turn back for just 
a moment to Ephesians 4. Ephesians chapter 4, the Apostle 
Paul highlights something of Christ's triumph into heaven. It's very common for a conquering 
king, when he conquered a people, take that spoil, take that booty 
and divide it up amongst his own people. It's a blessed thing. And this is what Paul says concerning 
Jesus. Verse 8. But to each one of us, 
grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. 
Therefore, he says, when he ascended on high, when he led captivity 
captive, he gave gifts to men. See, he sees triumph. He's victorious. He has taken his position at 
the right hand of the Father. What does he do? He gives gifts 
to men. Drop down to verse 11. You'll 
see the specific nature of the gifts. There's other passages 
that deal with the gifts of helps, or teachings, or tongues, or 
miracles, or prophesying, or all those sorts of things. Here 
the gifts in view are specifically meant that God has ordained or 
given to the Church for preaching and teaching. Notice in verse 
11, And He Himself, this is Jesus, gave some to be apostles, some 
prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. There's 
a threefold purpose for which he did this. There are three 
reasons specified in the text why Christ gave these men to 
the church. Verse 12, for the equipping of 
the saints. The next, for the work of ministry. The next, for the edifying of 
the body of Christ. Those are three purposes for 
gospel ministry within the life of Christ's church. Not the razzmatazz. Not the bells and the whistles. 
Not so that you can live the higher life, but so that you 
can be equipped, so that you can engage in ministry, so that 
you can be edified in the body of Christ. Now notice verse 13. Till we all come to the unity 
of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect 
man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that 
we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried 
about with every wind of doctrine. by the trickery of men, in the 
cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. But, speaking the truth 
in love, may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ, 
from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every 
joint supplies, according to the effective working by which 
every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying 
of itself in love." It's pretty congruent. You need to make sure 
that you're learning the Scriptures. You need to be growing in your 
understanding of truth. You need to know the Bible. You 
need to know theology. You need to learn. You need to 
make sure that you, in the language of Hebrews 13, 9, do not be carried 
about with various and strange doctrines. You ever met these 
people? One day it's this, one day it's 
this, one day it's this, one day it's this. It's an emotional 
rush from one plane to another. You know what God calls us to? 
Faithful, steady, perseverance. It may not be as glamorous. It 
may not provide the flights of fancy that we like, but this 
is God's ordained way. We're to run with endurance the 
race that is set before us. Not run for a little bit, get 
enamored with this doctrine. Run for a little bit, get enamored 
with this doctrine. Run for a little bit and get 
enamored with this doctrine. We need to understand the Scriptures 
in their totality through faithful exposition, application, our 
own Bible study, our own application to reading, going through it, 
memorizing, hiding God's Word in our heart. There is no overnight 
fix. You are called by the grace of 
God to press on for the long haul. Do not be carried about. Go back to the Scriptures. Test 
all things. Look at the history of the church. 
Look at the historic confessions and creeds. Those are helpful 
guides so that you are not carried about, so that you are not caught 
up with every wind of doctrine, so that you do not end up in 
heresy. Any departure from Christ, more 
than likely, is going to be heretical. John Calvin said the import of 
this passage That is, that in order that the truth of God may 
remain firm in us, we must acquiesce in Christ alone. We conclude 
that all who are ignorant of Christ are exposed to all the 
delusions of Satan, for apart from him there is no stability 
of faith, but innumerable tossings here and there. Stick close to 
Jesus. Know what the Bible says concerning 
Christ. 2 John 9 is a beautiful statement 
of doctrinal fidelity. It says, whoever transgresses 
and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. There's people out there that 
think they have a relationship with God, but they have no time 
for Jesus. Not according to the Apostle 
John. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father 
and the Son. And notice that verse 9 is not 
addressed simply to pastors or to seminarians or those who really 
like Bible study and theology. It's to everybody. Every single 
one of you must not be carried about. What's the best way to 
protect yourself? To be safely anchored in the 
truth. How are you safely anchored in 
the truth? By listening, by reading, by studying. We often think within 
the Christian life, you know, there's the emphasis on the practical. You know, those people that just 
study doctrine all the time, they're not really any good for 
anything. You know, it's the practical, it's the application 
of the Christian life. Brethren, you can't have the 
application without the doctrine. And if you're understanding the 
doctrine properly, you can't have that without the application. 
You know you've got to be a doer of the Word. Michael Horton says, 
Some Christians assume that knowing doctrine and practical living 
are competing interests. They're fighting against each 
other. He says the modern dichotomy or division between doctrine 
and life, theology and discipleship, knowing and doing, theory and 
practice has had disastrous consequences in the life of the Church and 
its witness in the world. We need to study God's Word so 
that we can live for Him. We need to be faithful in this 
area of doctrine, doctrinal fidelity. Notice the reason the apostle 
gives at the end of verse 9. For it is good that the heart 
be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited 
those who have been occupied with them. Kind of an interesting 
statement, probably a reference to the Jewish kosher laws. The idea that if we eat this 
or we don't eat this, we'll be accepted with God. That is not 
profitable to you. Remember the context. He's writing 
to Jewish believers, those who had come to Christ, those who 
are feeling the pull and the tug, to go back to the Mosaic 
ceremonies, to go back to the temple, to go back to the Levitical 
priesthood. He says, no, the heart should 
be established by grace. That means the preaching of God's 
Word, prayer, fellowship, learning, understanding, using those means 
that God's ordained for the good of His people. Grow in the grace 
and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, Peter says. It's not foods, it's 
not ceremonies, it's not rites, it's not those things that will 
somehow endear us to God. No. Remember what we learned 
in Galatians. If you think that circumcision 
is necessary for acceptance with God, you're bound to keep the 
whole law. Same thing with the kosher laws. 
If you think that kosher laws gain you acceptance with God, 
you are obligated to keep the entirety of the law. Now, let's 
look at this altar we have. Actually, let's skip a little 
bit. I'm going to skip verses 10 to 16, drop down to verse 
17, and then go back to this altar. Notice in verse 17, he 
ends where he began in this section. Obey those who rule over you 
and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls as those who 
must give account. Let them do so with joy and not 
with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you." Again, 
this whole idea of obeying those who rule over you and being submissive. It doesn't mean that men should 
dominate you. It doesn't mean that these are 
cult leaders. It doesn't mean that you are 
to serve them and disengage your mind and do whatever it is they 
tell you. No, the idea is that insofar 
as they are faithfully preaching the Word of God, listen to them. 
Hear that. Obey that word as it's opened 
up. Jesus said the very same thing in his ministry. He's indicting 
the Pharisees. He said, these men sit in Moses' 
seat. Whatever they tell you, do. Why would he say that? Because they would expound or 
read at least the Word of God. So when they read and expound 
that Word, you need to listen to them. Don't do what they do 
in terms of their practice, because they're hypocritical wretches. 
The same idea is here. Obey those who rule over you 
and be submissive. Listen to the Scriptures as it's 
being preached. Come to church not just to burn 
some time. Come to church not just because 
that's what we're supposed to do on Sunday. But come to church 
to learn the Word of the living and true God. O'Brien again says 
this. He says, In response to this 
exhortation, the listeners will adhere to the Word of God that 
their leaders speak and follow their direction rather than revert 
to Jewish ways of thinking or be influenced by other strange 
teachings. What is a good inoculation against 
various and strange doctrines? Faithful preaching. If your ministers, 
your elders, your pastors are preaching the Word accurately, 
listen to them. Obey them. Not because they're 
deaf, but because they're preaching God's Word. That's the emphasis. This is not a passage to be yanked 
out of context for heavy-handed authoritarian ministry. It isn't 
to knock the people of God around on the head. It is simply an 
exhortation for you to not be led about by strange and various 
doctrines, but by listening to the Word as it's preached, as 
it's opened up, as it's taught. You need to give heed to those 
things. He goes on to say, the elders, 
they watch out for your souls. We know they're elders. We know 
it's ecclesiastical. The civil magistrate doesn't 
watch out for your souls. He's dealing with church leadership 
in this particular context. They are men that will indeed 
give account for you. James 3.1 makes the same point. 
Let not many of you be teachers, for we shall receive a stricter 
judgment. Why? Because God puts an emphasis 
upon His Word. He puts an emphasis upon doctrinal 
purity. I mean, if we understand the 
Scriptures to teach, and we do, that faith comes by hearing and 
hearing by the Word of God, It is paramount that the men of 
God preach the truth accurately. They will give an account for 
what they say. He goes on at the end in verse 
17. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would 
be unprofitable for you. Let them do so with joy and not 
with grief. How does that happen? Bring large 
amounts of money when you come to the church and throw it at 
the pastor? No. Be in church and listen. Nothing makes a pastor happier. 
We don't have that big of hopes or expectations. Probably when 
we're young, oh yeah, I want to be like Spurgeon. After about 
a year, you realize only Spurgeon was like Spurgeon. That ain't 
going to happen here. Remember John Piper in a preface 
to his study, I think it was either Spurgeon or Edwards, he 
says, know this, you will never be those men. You will never 
be. We've got to accept that. So 
what's the next best thing? Show up and don't fall asleep. Several years ago, I would have 
heard or I would have been a part of the conversation, you expect 
so little from your people. You know, I guess time and experience 
and all that sort of thing makes you realize that showing up and 
listening is what is a blessing. That's it. You don't have to 
bring flowers. You don't have to, oh, we reverend. No, just show up and listen. Imagine that, you're going to 
go home, and what does your pastor want? He just wants you to show 
up and listen. Oh, you pastor, you've got to tell them to go 
out and take mountains for Jesus. Show up and listen, and if you 
listen properly, you'll want to go take mountains for Jesus. 
You see, it's the little things that make the big things. Let's 
just get show up and listen before you embark on pioneer missions. Just show up and listen. Now 
down the road, having shown up and having listened, you may 
embark on pioneer missions. You see, it's a beautiful thing. 
He says, let them do so with joy and not with grief. Notice, 
for that would be unprofitable for you. I used a horrible illustration 
on Wednesday night that I'm going to repeat. You're sitting in 
the dentist chair. He's going to extract a tooth. 
And just about the time when he's going to reach in with those 
pliers, the phone rings. His wife's going to leave him. 
His creditors are foreclosing on him. He's going to lose his 
practice. His life is in ruins. Do you think he's delicately 
and gently going to go into your mouth with those pliers? I suspect 
not. I suspect he's going to go in 
there with a vengeance and try to rip out anything that isn't 
fastened down too tightly. Now change it up a moment. Before 
he reaches into your mouth with those pliers, he gets good news. 
He's told wonderful things. That's why he says, I love you, 
honey. I've got steak in the oven for you for when you come 
home. He's probably going to approach your mouth with a bit 
more grace and tenderness. I'm going to try to make this 
as painless as I possibly can. How that can possibly be, I don't 
know. And then he commences to rip 
your tooth out. Now again, that's a bad illustration 
for pastoral ministry. But I think you get the point. 
Men saddled with all kinds of issues are not going to profit 
you. That's what's in view here. Let 
them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable 
for you. The guy's grieved if he's Jeremiah, 
and all he does is come up here and cry. You're not going to 
get the praise. Now, Jeremiah can cry and preach. 
That's a different story. The guy is just, you know, being 
run down. It is not going to benefit your 
soul. That's the emphasis in the passage. Now let's go back finally, finish 
up verses 10 to 16. This altar we have. He states 
something very interesting. And I think verses 10 and 11 
flow from what he said at the end of verse 9. There's foods 
that do not profit those who are occupied with them. Well, 
that refers to Judaism, I'm convinced. The kosher laws, the ceremonies. Now, he uses this metaphor, verses 
10 and 11. He says, for we, that means believers, 
have an altar, I take that as the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, 
from which those who serve the earthly tabernacle, namely the 
Levitical priests, have no right to eat. Let me just say that 
again. We believers have an altar that 
is the sacrifice of Jesus from which those who serve the earthly 
tabernacle, this particular instance it was not Solomon's but Herod's 
temple. Those Levitical priests who serve 
there have no right to participate in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It's making a powerful statement. Perhaps you've heard it from 
some of the people in our generation. The Jews and the Christians have 
the same God, not according to this apostle. Sometimes they 
say the Jews, the Christians, and the Muslims have the same 
God. It's the God of Abraham. We've all departed a little bit. 
We've all gone a little bit of a different way, but it doesn't 
matter if you call him God. It doesn't matter if you call 
him Jesus. It doesn't matter if you call him Yahweh. It doesn't 
matter if you call him Allah. According to this apostle, it 
matters. We believers have a saving interest in Jesus Christ that 
these Levitical priests who are going into the temple on a daily 
basis have no right to eat from. They are excluded. They are outside. They are not a part of biblical 
and true religion. You want to talk about exclusivity? You want to talk about what many 
call bigotry today? Verse 11 is a hardcore statement. I'm sorry, verse 10 is a hardcore 
statement concerning that. The assertion that the adherents 
of the old cult, that means the Levitical system, have no right 
to eat from the altar that Christians have is to declare that they 
have no share in Christ's sacrifice and are excluded from its blessings. That's powerful. That's what 
it means there when it says they have no right to eat. There were 
various sacrifices associated with Old Covenant worship, that 
after the animal was sacrificed accordingly, the priests had 
a share to eat. They had a part to participate 
in. That meant that they were included 
in the sacrifice. Here he's saying they have no 
right to eat from it. They're not involved. They're 
not included. They have not fallen under the 
benefit of Christ's sacrifice. With reference to verse 11, notice, 
Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with 
his own blood, suffered outside the gate. It's an amazing statement 
here. I think this picture is the Day 
of Atonement. What happened on the Day of Atonement? 
It was once a year. It didn't happen often. It was once a year. You may have 
heard it referred to as Yom Kippur. On that day of Yom Kippur, the 
high priest would kill animals, take the blood, go into the most 
holy place. Once a year. You didn't just 
wander into the Holy of Holies. No one did. The high priest once 
a year, well, one day, he probably entered about three or four times 
to make the various sacrifices at that time. Kill the animal, 
take the blood, pour it on the mercy seat, get out. Kill the 
animal, take the blood, get in there, pour it on the mercy seat, 
get out. He didn't hang around in there. 
This was the time when the high priest took off all of his brilliant 
attire and he went simply in linen. It's a very solemn time. And then there was that scapegoat 
wherein he would lay his hand over the goat and he would pray 
and confess the sins of all Israel. And then they'd send the goat 
into the wilderness. A beautiful illustration or picture 
of God's removal of the sin in Israel. But with those animals 
killed on the Day of Atonement, they didn't eat them. They took 
them outside the camp and there they burned them. Outside the 
camp was a place that was profane. Outside the camp was a place 
that was not sacred. Outside the camp was where, if 
a man blasphemed, he would be stoned outside the camp. If a 
man cursed God, he would be stoned outside the camp. Now go back 
to verse 11 for a moment. Therefore, Jesus also that he 
might sanctify the people with his own blood suffered outside 
the gate." Now, I know that we often think that our lives are 
full of misery and trial and difficulty. Do you know that 
we deserve misery, trial, and difficulty because we're sinners? 
I know that's not popular. We have books written today like, 
why do good things happen to, or why do bad things happen to 
good people? Sproul says, there's no good 
people. What are you talking about? The big question, brethren, if 
you know your Bible and you know your heart, is why does anything 
good happen to such sinners like us? We deserve issues. In a moral universe, when we 
transgress against a holy God, punishment, trial, and difficulty 
are the results. Now, when you come to verse 12, 
you need to see something about your Jesus. Remember back in Hebrews 12 it 
says, who for the joy set before him, despising the shame, he 
endured the cross. What does that mean? The shame 
of being counted a malefactor. The shame of being counted a 
blasphemer. He was treated as a common criminal. You see how practical the theology 
of the cross is for God's people? He is going to make various implications 
based on this truth, but you need to get your minds wrapped 
around this. Jesus' execution outside the 
gate involved the shame of exclusion from the sacred precincts. From 
a Jewish point of view, Jesus was associated with the blasphemer 
and the Sabbath breaker. He was officially condemned by 
the council as one who had blasphemed the name. So I think in the progression 
of thought, verse 9, he speaks about these foods that do not 
profit those who are occupied with them. This altar that we have been 
blessed with, this sacrifice of Jesus. And verse 12, he develops 
that imagery just a little bit more. He wants you to understand 
what all is involved in this. Therefore, Jesus also, that he 
might sanctify the people with his own blood. Who are the people? It's us. Why did Christ go outside 
the gate? For us. Why was Christ crucified? For us. Why did Christ despise 
the shame? For us! Why was He full of reproach? 
For us! We learn that He sanctifies us. We learn that it's through His 
own blood. And we learn that His work on our behalf cost Him. We love to boast about a free 
salvation. It is free. It costs us nothing. It costs Christ His life. It 
costs Christ the wrath of God. It costs Christ on the cross 
to cry out, why hast thou forsaken me? So that you and I will never 
have to. You see, verse 12 flows. He wants us to consider this. 
He wants us to understand this. Now, based on that reality of 
the sacrifice of Jesus, verses 13 to 16. Here's how you Christians 
need to live. Five observations, then we close. 
First, the need to go outside the camp. Look at what he says 
in verse 13. Therefore, let us go forth to 
him outside the camp. In the context, don't go back 
to Judaism. Depart from it. Don't be wrapped 
up in that temple cult. Even if your parents, even if 
your loved ones, even if your family or your work associates 
say, you need to come back. No, you go outside the camp. 
You go out to where Jesus is. You need to be like Abraham. 
Remember Abraham? He's already alluded to in chapter 
11. What did Abraham do? He left Ur of the Chaldeans. 
Again, we look at that and say, it was a pagan place full of 
idolaters. It was a man's home. Everything he knew was in Ur 
of the Chaldeans. His parents were there. His family was there. 
His job was there. His life was there. His livelihood 
was there. God says, get out of Ur of the 
Chaldeans. What does he do? He goes. He 
says, oh, but I've got to stay there. How many of us are like 
that? We've seen that in the Gospel 
of Matthew in our introductory statement. What was Matthew doing 
when he was called to serve Jesus? He was counting his money. He 
was a tax collector. Certainly had an affinity for 
that dough sitting on his table. Jesus says, follow me. What does 
he do? He follows him. So many of us 
want to cleave to and hold on to sin. Let it go. Go outside the camp. Quit playing games. Remember, 
we saw it this morning. He will save His people from 
their sins. He doesn't save them to continue 
in sin. He doesn't save them to hold 
on to sin. Now, we struggle, we wrestle, 
we fight. Sometimes, under bad circumstances, 
we give in, we confess it, we forsake it. But that is a far 
cry different than holding on to it. The Apostle says, get 
out of the camp. Notice what he says. Secondly, 
bear his reproach. Again, I can hear the pressure 
upon the Christians in the first century. Oh, forget that, Jesus. Come back to the temple. We have 
the priesthood. We have the temple. This is the 
place that God has set his affections on. This is in Jerusalem. This 
is in the capital city. Remember, it was glorious under 
Solomon. It fell into disrepair, but now 
it's been rebuilt and it's there. Don't go to this Nazarene. No, 
you need to bear his reproach. You need to be like Moses. Remember, 
he spoke of Moses in Hebrews 11. What did Moses do? He chose rather to suffer affliction 
with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of 
sin. You see what a masterful author we have here? People he's 
introduced along the way fall into these exhortations, bear 
his reproach. You don't have to scratch your 
head and say, I wonder what that means. It means be a man like 
Moses. If you are in Egypt, forget that 
garbage. You go and live with the Israelites. 
Forget the passing pleasures of sin and bear the reproach 
of the faithful. That's your option as God's people. Thirdly, we need to have a future 
orientation. Now brethren, the Bible says 
that we walk by faith and not by sight. We all want to see 
exactly what it is that God's going to give us. Well, you can 
read about it. You can learn about it. In the 
final analysis on this side of Jesus' second coming, we need 
to walk by faith. We need to have that future orientation. Verse 14, For we have no continuing 
city, but we seek the one to come. There's a two-volume biography 
on Martin Lloyd-Jones. And the last or the first volume 
ends at World War II. London is being bombed. The people 
of God are gathered for worship and Lloyd-Jones takes Hebrews 
13 as his text. It's what people need to hear. We have no continuing city in 
this world. We have nothing that is going 
to last. We seek the one to come. Run 
with endurance the race that is set before you. Even if you 
don't see it, even if you don't feel it, believe it, because 
God has spoken and He is true. Fourth, we need to praise God. Verse 15, Therefore by Him let 
us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God that is the 
fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Christ offered up 
a perfect sacrifice once for all. We're not to sacrifice dogs. We're not to sacrifice goats. We're not to sacrifice bulls 
or rams or birds or anything like that. The Bible says in 
Romans 12, we're to present our bodies as a living sacrifice 
unto God, which is, by the way, your reasonable service. If Christ 
has purchased you body and soul, it ought not to make you scratch 
your head and wonder. No, it is a no-brainer that you 
give your body to Jesus. You give your mind and your heart 
to Jesus. This is why in the letter to 
Corinthians, Paul can say, flee sexual immorality. You have been 
bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your 
body. Don't give it up for ungodliness 
and unrighteousness. Well, here another sacrifice 
that we present is the sacrifice of praise to God. We speak well 
of Him. We bless Him. We honor Him. We do this corporately when we 
gather together. We shouldn't just sing hymns 
because that's what Christians do. We should sing hymns because 
we get to praise our great God. in our private worship, in family 
worship. We can praise Him. We speak well 
of Him. We consider His goodness. We 
rehearse His mighty deeds. We look to His Word and we return 
blessing and honor back to Him. Brethren, this is our duty based 
on the fact that Christ has gone outside the camp. He has given 
Himself for us in order to sanctify us with His own blood. A result 
will be a praising people. It's not a lot to ask. I always think we should try 
to blast the roof off of the building. Just sing to God. Brethren, do you realize that 
when we're singing again, it's not just ritual. We specifically 
and purposefully use doctrinally sound hymns for the purpose of 
instructing one another, as the Scripture tells us, and to edify 
ourselves so that we can praise God in singing. And then fifthly, 
we need to engage in good works toward men. Therefore, I'm sorry, 
verse 16, but do not forget to do good and to share. See me, 
do good to others. Share your stuff. Don't be such 
a tight-fisted person. If you have it and they don't, 
cough it up. If they come to your house, don't 
say, be warm and be filled, and slam the door on their way out. No, we need to be ready or we 
need to remember and not to forget to do good and to share. Notice, 
for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. I love that. You may do something for someone 
that no one else knows about. You know, as a general rule, 
you're not supposed to, you know, sort of celebrate what you do 
for other people. This just kind of takes away 
from the whole idea. Jesus thought, don't let your 
right hand know what your left hand is doing. Man, I really 
did some sharing things today. Oh good, brother. Now read those 
passages and deal with pride and humility and sort of temper 
that a bit. It's good that you share. You 
don't need to stand on the street corner and tell everybody that 
you shared, man. But it's interesting. You share. One person alone knows, and God 
is well pleased. We mentioned Epaphroditus on 
Wednesday night. Who knows who Epaphroditus was? 
Epaphroditus was the man who was in the church at Philippi, 
who was sent by the church from Philippi to Rome to bring stuff 
to Paul. And by stuff, I don't mean golf 
clubs, because Paul was on the back nine in Rome there. Food. Maybe some clothes. The state didn't subsidize the 
prisoners. The state didn't give them three 
squares a day. The state didn't provide internet 
access. The state didn't give them a 
TV room. If you ate in prison, it's because 
your friends or family cared enough to bring you something. 
That's the whole point going on in Philippians 4, when Paul 
is commending them for their generous spirit. He says, I know 
how to live being a base. I know how to live having a lot. 
It's in that whole context that he is praising them for having 
sent Epaphroditus. Now Epaphroditus, what he did 
in bringing those good gifts to Paul was called liturgy. That means worshipful service. So Epaphroditus was whistling 
his way to Rome, carrying a bag of food and stuff. Probably thinking 
about God from time to time, other times he might have been 
thinking about his work back in Philippi, might have been 
thinking about his wife back in Philippi, might have been 
thinking about his kids back in Philippi. The point is, that 
excursion, that duty, that task was viewed upon by God as religious 
service that was well-pleasing and presented a well-pleasing 
aroma in the nostrils of God. You see, just going out to do 
pioneer missions isn't the only way to bring a smile to God's 
face. Share your stuff. Do good to 
others. Have a benevolent and generous 
disposition. And God is well pleased, according 
to the Apostle. Well, brethren, those are sundry 
and varied exhortations, and I hope by God's grace we will 
take them in, we will apply them. We cannot apply them unless we 
have first, by God's grace, believed the Gospel. We need to look to 
that altar. Again, not some physical altar, 
not a Popish altar. but the altar which is Christ's 
sacrifice. We need to look to Jesus. We 
need to believe the Gospel. We need to look to Him. We need 
to repent from our sins and have that everlasting life and then 
take up these exhortations and by God's good grace live accordingly. Well, let us pray. Father, thank 
You for Your Word. Thank You for Your mercy and 
Your grace and thank You for Jesus. We thank You that He did 
go outside the camp. Even John tells us that Calvary, 
the cross, was near the city. We see that he was, in fact, 
treated as such a criminal. And yet, Father, we know this 
is your plan. It was to make him who knew no sin to be sin 
for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. 
Grant us grace, Father, and wrestle with these exhortations. Grant 
us help to apply them. And I pray that you would go 
with your people now and watch over us in this coming week. 
And we pray through Christ the Lord. Amen. you