Sunday’s Sermons

Text: Hebrews 13:18-19                                                 5/18/08 p.m.

Thesis: Pray brings unity and progress to a church

 

Intro: If we could do a quick sound-bite recap of the sermons from this letter to the Hebrews it would be obvious that there have been many hard things said.

The author even calls the letter “a word of exhortation” in chapter 13 verse 22.

Their tradition was drawing them away from Christ and they had to be told their tradition was wrong.

They thought they were mature men and women but in all honesty they were still elementary children in their thinking.

They had won a hard fought battle of faith and were tempted to coast. They had to be told to get ready because God would bring even greater difficulty.

They had to be told to obey and submit to their leaders with a good attitude.

You’re wrong, you’re a bunch of babies, you’re growing lazy, you need to do what you are told, and you need to be happy about it.

But this pastor is not being mean or tyrannical in his writing. Out of a love for Christ and a correct understanding of Christ’s great work of atonement love pours from his pen.

This pastor says what needs to be said because he knows Christ and wants the church to know Christ as well.

Love always leads us to say and do hard things. That means love always leads us to the need for prayer.

It is no surprise that as we come to the close of this Spirit-inspired letter we see a genuine plea for prayer.

This pastor calls on the church he loves to pray for him.

 

Read Hebrews 13:18-19

 

I) Prayer is necessary

a)      When you attempt hard things you will feel your need for prayer

i)        He says to them, “All of you keep praying for us.”

ii)      He’s not asking the prayer warriors to keep an annual prayer vigil. Because he knows his great need he is demanding that the young and the old continue in prayer for their church leaders.

iii)    He wants to be restored to them. There is separation that breaks the heart of this pastor. He can’t stand to just write them a letter.

iv)    The desire is to be with them. Pen and paper though beneficial fall short of the encouragement and potential of being together face-to-face on a regular basis.

v)      He wants to personally show them the splendor of Christ that far surpasses the beauty of the Old Covenant.

vi)    He wants to work with them side by side so that they will grow strong in the faith.

vii)  He wants to be the type of man who cares for their souls and engenders their willingness to follow him.

viii)            “Pray for us” is not a phrase this pastor feels he has to say in order to keep up the appearance of godliness.

ix)    “Pray for us” is the command of a pastor who knows God’s call on his life is far greater than his own personal abilities. He needs the spiritual assistance of those he loves and longs to lead to Christ.

x)      He also knows that he must be a pastor striving to be the man he is calling them to be.

b)      Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience

i)        This call to prayer is not the last ditch effort of a man who has failed in character and conduct so now he’s going to try the prayer thing.

ii)      This pastor according to Hebrews 10:22 has had his heart sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and his body washed with pure water.

iii)    According to Hebrews 9:14 the powerful blood of Jesus Christ has purified his conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

iv)    He is convinced that because of the atoning work of Jesus Christ his conscience is good.

v)      He has said hard things but for all the right reasons.

vi)    What was done needed to be done. What was said needed to be said.

vii)  Through Christ this pastor has been faithful so he calls on the church not to pray for his restoration because of some sin but to pray because he has been faithful.

c)      His desire was to act honorably in all things

i)        This is helpful for us as we continue to grow up in Jesus Christ. A clear conscience is not based on the fact that a person agrees to some facts about Jesus Christ.

ii)      A clear conscience is based on the work of Christ that leads a person to obey Christ.

Titus 2:14 says Jesus Christ, “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.

iii)    When we understand the amazing work of Jesus Christ for us it makes us pure and it empowers us for ministry.

iv)    Right faith in Christ doesn’t just lead to wanting to go to church. Right faith in Christ leads to a desire to live honorably in all things.

v)      Following Christ will cause you to do things that some people do not like and say things some people do not want to hear.

vi)    What we must do is call on people to pray for us, be sure that we are acting on faith in Christ, and strive to live in a manner pleasing to God in every aspect of our lives.

vii)  This pastor could call on his church to pray because his conscience was clear and his live was characterized by a desire for holiness.

viii)            What is encouraging for us is that this man of enduring godliness still needed help.

II) We help each other through prayer

Read verse 19

a)      When we grasp the power of prayer it will drive us to pray more and ask for more prayer.

i)        The person who has tasted the power of God is a person who joyfully asks for prayer.

ii)      It’s not a statement of weakness to ask for prayer it is a statement of faith. I know God is able to help so I need you all to pray for God’s help.

iii)    Do you see the urgency in the voice of this pastor?  More exceedingly I encourage this.

iv)    I beseech you to pray. I urge you to pray. I particularly urge you to pray.

v)      These are not the words of a washed up rock bottom has been.  These are the words of a powerful man of God who knows where his power comes from.

vi)    A prayer request is never a sign of weakness. A prayer request is a sign of faith.

vii)  Here’s the specific request

b)      Pray earnestly for my restoration

i)        We are not given the specifics of what he needed to be restored from.  Obviously his readers would have known.

ii)      It is possible that he could be imprisoned but that does not seem to be the best fit for the content of the letter.

iii)    Timothy has probably been in prison and the wording is different concerning Timothy’s situation and this pastor’s situation.

iv)    It seems better to understand that because of the persecution in this Christian community their pastor is not able to immediately return to them.

v)      Prisoners during these times were allowed access to the outside world in a way foreign to our prison system today.

vi)    If their pastor was down town in the city jail they could see him and he could see them.

vii)  But in verse 23 he talks also of his desire to see them when he joins up with Timothy.

viii)            So, he’s probably in a foreign country driven and kept there by the level of persecution in this community.

ix)    Though he is separated from them and kept out by hostile forces this pastor trusts God.

x)      He’s like Mordecai talking with Esther

“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

xi)    This pastor is sure of God’s work of restoration but he also is sure of the fact that God has placed these people in this situation to do something about it.

xii)  Like Esther going before King Ahasuerus the congregation is to go before the King of the Universe and ask for the quick restoration of their pastor to them.

xiii)            And God will answer their prayer. God will do his great work. God will fulfill his perfect will.

xiv)            This man of God will be restored to the church of God because the people of God prayed.

xv)  I pray and I call on you to pray not simply because God tells us to pray. I pray and urge you to pray because the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective.

xvi)            Prayers coming from a clear conscience and an honorable life accomplish God’s work.

III) Conclusion

a)      Turn in your bibles to Hebrews chapter 4 verse 14

i)        Read verses 14-16

ii)      If you are a Christian you are in need.  If you are a Christian in need the sovereign God of the universe is inviting you right now to draw near to Him through faith in Christ.

iii)    God is inviting you right now to trust in Jesus who knows what it’s like to be tempted like you are.

iv)    This Jesus who knows your temptation and has beaten your temptation will shower on you the mercy and grace you need to feel your conscience cleaned.

v)      This Jesus will give you the grace and mercy you need to live an honorable life in every area of that life.

vi)    There is no reason not to pray and there is every encouragement to pray.

vii)  We are not going to sing. We are going to pray. Confess your sins. Praise God. Ask God to meet your needs. Plead with God that he would bring unity to this church and use you to do it.

viii)            As your pastor I urge you to earnestly pray for me. Pray I will live strong in the Lord with a clear conscience. Pray that because of Christ I will act honorably in all things.

ix)    As God’s beloved children let’s pray to our gracious father through faith in Christ Jesus.