Living a Life That Pleases God (pt.2)
Hebrews 13:7-19>
Last time we saw 5 things about a life that pleases God:
1. Love Fellow Christians
2. Show Hospitality
3. Help the Hurting
4. Stay Sexually Pure
5. Be Content
6. Pursue Spiritual Growth
Hebrews 13:7
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Philippians 4:9
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:9
Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them.
Hebrews 13:10
We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.
7. Boldly Live for Christ
Hebrews 13:11
The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp.
Hebrews 13:12
And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.
Hebrews 13:13
Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.
Matthew 10:32-33
Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.
Hebrews 13:14
For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
8. Worship God as a Lifestyle
Hebrews 13:15
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name.
1st The sacrifice of praise is singing songs of praise
Psalm 50:23
He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God."
2nd The sacrifice of praise is helping those in need
Hebrews 13:16
And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
9. Respect Spiritual Leaders
Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Obey means
-To be persuaded by:
> Hebrews 6:9
Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation.
-To trust:
> Hebrews 2:13
And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”
-To rely on:
> Luke 11:22
But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.
Submit means: “to make room for by giving up your seat” or “to yield or submit to.”
> The church should a have bent toward trusting its leaders, you should have a disposition of being supportive in your attitudes and actions towards their goals and directions; you should want to imitate their faith; and you should have a happy inclination to comply with their instructions. ---John Piper
Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
3 John 4
I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children [parishoners] are following the truth.
Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Statistics on Pastors’ Emotional Health and Family
91% have experienced some form of burnout in ministry and 18% say they are “fried to a crisp right now”
80% will not be in ministry ten years later and only a fraction make it a lifelong career. On average, seminary trained pastors last only five years in church ministry.
80% believe their pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families and 33% said it was an outright hazard
70% of pastors say they have a lower self-esteem now than when they entered ministry
70% constantly fight depression
50% feel so discouraged that they would leave their ministry if they
could find another job
> -Compilation from SoulShepherding.org
Research provided by the following organizations:
Leadership Journal, Fuller Institute of Church Growth, Francis A Schaeffer Institute of Leadership Development
Hebrews 13:18-19
Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.
You honor your pastors when you pray for them.
