New Salem Baptist Church

Strengthening Our Hearts and Pleasing God

February 23, 2025

Read Hebrews 13:7-16.

⁷ Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.^[1]

Because the apostle uses the past tense here in verse 7, referring to the leaders who spoke the word of God to them, this is likely a different group than their present elders. But they ought to be highly regarded. Not only did they proclaim the gospel and feed them with God’s word, but their lives matched what they spoke. There was an outcome to their way of life.

What was the outcome? There was a practical righteousness that was lived before their eyes. The very things that Paul holds up in the verses just prior to verse 7:

• Their marriages were held in honor.
• They were free from the love of money.
• They lived contented lives.
• They lived in a fearless way, not afraid of opposition, nor even death.
• And, when we consider the word that the apostle uses, outcome, believing children comes to mind. Indeed, he will list faithful children as a qualification for leadership elsewhere (Titus 1:6).

A healthy church, whether small or large, needs these kinds of leaders. May I use Brian as an example?

• He was faithful to his wife.
• He does not have a love for money.
• He is content with what he has. He doesn’t try to obtain possessions beyond his means.
• He is not afraid to speak the truth at his workplace.
• His daughters are believers.

Brian is someone whose faith we can emulate. We are blessed to have him as an elder. We can observe these same things about Kris. Praise God!

⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.^[2]

This statement is another proof, as was chapter one, that the Lord Jesus was more than a prophet. He is God Himself. Because everything and everyone changes. No one stays the same. But the Lord Jesus Christ remains as he has always been because he is already perfect.

But how does this truth relate to verse 7?

The apostle implies that, with all the uncertainties of life in this world, there is one unchanging character – Jesus Christ. In the same way that he sustained the faith of the saints of old (ch. 11) and the same way that he has transformed the life of their leaders, so he will sustain the faith of the readers and so he will transform them.

The Lord Jesus is doing the same work in you that he has done in leaders of the church both then and now. He will do the same work in you that he did for the original readers of this letter. Since he doesn’t change, he will do a complete work in you.

⁹ Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. ^[3]

Our hearts need to be strengthened but they will not be strengthened by teachings concerning foods. This is not in reference to the dietary laws of the Old Testament since those teachings were neither strange nor diverse. They were the commands of God for that era, although they have since been rescinded. These teachings had to do with abstaining from certain foods (1 Tim 4:3) and probably included advocating the consumption of certain foods. Although we ought to eat healthy foods and eat them in moderation, yet neither following diets, nor eating certain foods, especially not overeating which is the sin of gluttony… none of these practices will benefit our hearts.

Regarding gluttony, which appears to be a more common sin in this day than it was in the days of the apostles, remember that any sin that is not confessed and repudiated will cause us to lose our inheritance. This has been one of the major themes of Hebrews.

This matter then, of not seeking to strengthen ourselves by foods, applies both to the emphasis upon the kinds of food we eat as well as to the overindulgence of food.

We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.[4]

There were various kinds of sacrifices or offerings under the old covenant. The priests could and would eat the offerings after they had been made, except for the sin offering. The sin offerings were not permitted to be eaten (Lev. 6:30; also ch. 4).

The sin offerings were conducted at the altar but the animal would be burned outside the camp, not eaten (Lev. chapter 4). But we have an “altar” for our sin offering that is not of the tabernacle. This word, altar, is a metaphor for the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Just as the animals were burned outside the camp, outside the gate, so Jesus suffered and died outside the gate of Jerusalem.

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.[5]

Jesus was rejected by his own people. The Hebrew believers who followed him were also rejected and mocked. And so, Paul encourages them to put up with it. Do you know the same situation exists today? It occurs at three levels:

1. It happens in our original families. Our parents and other relatives may be nominal Christians. That is, they may attend church a church that doesn’t fully believe the word of God. They may attend a dry, lifeless church. When you surrender your heart and life to the Lord Jesus they will think you have gone overboard. They will think you a fanatic. They may think you have lost your mind. Yet, we must press on and bear any reproach.
2. It happens among our unsaved coworkers and friends. Just as the jews who rejected Christ in the first century were unsaved so it is with so many in our day. We bear their reproach and we do not stop proclaiming the truth simply because they criticize us or reject our words.
3. But it can even happen with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a reality of life that the less consecrated followers of Christ will feel themselves convicted in their conscience by the zeal of those who follow the Lord in a more consecrated way. They may subject you to criticism and find fault with you in trying to assuage their own lack of devotion to Christ. This was made known by both the Great Awakening (1730’s) and the Second Great Awakening (1800-1840). Both times those who participated and enjoyed the moving of the Holy Spirit were persecuted by whom? Not so much by the world, but by their fellow Christians! The proper approach is to tell the one who possesses zeal, “Your love for the Lord is an encouragement to me. I wish to be more like you! Thank you for your faithfulness and example.” But the opposite often happens. When it does, you bear their reproach and press on!

There is no lasting city here (vs. 14). Everything in this life is temporary. But there is a city coming, and age to come. That brings with it lasting comfort, fulfillment, and enjoyment. These things will never end as they do now. Look to the age to come!

If our hearts are strengthened by grace, that is, by understanding and appreciating how we are in God’s favor, then we will be prepared to fulfill verses 15 and 15, which call upon us to make two sacrifices:

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.[6]

The first sacrifice is the sacrifice of praise. Verse 15 is rich! So much here!

See that we are called upon not only offer a sacrifice of praise but to continually do so!

Why is it a sacrifice? A sacrifice is something that costs us. There may be times when we do not feel like praising God. But we ought to do so! Why? It is for our benefit. When we praise it changes us. It changes us because praising him shows his worthiness and gets our minds off of ourselves or our problems.

This sacrifice is the fruit of our lips. This means that it is vocal not silent. It is out loud. It is good for others to hear your praise. If you are alone at least the angels will hear it! And, you will hear it. When you praise him silently it is still good, but you don’t hear it with your ears.

Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication; And let them say continually, “The LORD be magnified, who delights in the prosperity of his servant.” And my tongue shall declare thy righteousness and thy praise all day long.[7]

The last part of verse 15 says that we ought to “acknowledge his name.” What does this mean?

In modern times, in English as well as other contemporary languages, the word name means what you are called. In the Bible it carries that connotation too. But, more often, it doesn’t. When the word, name, appears it often means the person. Let me prove it.

“If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the LORD your God, then the LORD will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses grievous and lasting.[8]

The Israelites were not to fear the sound of God’s name. They were to fear him! “The Lord your God is substituted for the “awesome name” right within the verse.

And so I intend to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.’[9]

But just a few verses later we read:

The house that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high.[10]

To build a house for the Lord’s name is just to build a house for him.

For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.[11]

To say that his name is there means that his heart is there.

Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,

and give thanks to his holy name.[12]

The Psalms, being poetry, often display what is known as parallelism. This is when two words or phrases appear one after the other in the text. This indicates that the words mean the same thing. Here we see that to sing praise to the Lord is the same as thanking his name.

Oh, magnify the LORD with me,

and let us exalt his name together![13]

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and all that is within me,

bless his holy name![14]

Thus, Hebrews 13:15 is saying that our lips frequently, continually, ought to tell about who God is! This is why Peter says that if we speak we ought to be speaking the oracles of God (I Peter 4:11).

I was at a café in the Philippines and when the waiter came up to check on us I said everything was fine, but then I asked him: “Did you know that God is excellent?” And, smiling, he replied, “Yes, he is!” To acknowledge his name is to acknowledge him. That is the first sacrifice.

The second sacrifice is sharing what we have with those who have a need (verse 16). Paul tells the Hebrews not to neglect to do good. Why would he tell the believers not to neglect? Because we have a tendency to neglect! If we never neglected there would be no need to tell us not to neglect. Do you see it?

The good that he references is sharing what we have. When we share what we have with others God is pleased.

[Application and Conclusion] In the passage that we considered this morning, Paul starts by encouraging his readers to remember their leaders and imitate their faith. He reminds them that the work that Jesus has done in those they look up to he will also do in them.

He tells them not to be concerned with food, but rather to strengthen their hearts by knowing and appreciating God’s favor upon them (grace).

They, and we, should be willing to suffer reproach because we follow Christ.

So, what should we do? We speak often of who God is. If you don’t want to be ridiculed just keep your mouth shut about God and about Christ. But the apostle calls us to bring fruit from our lips.

And we must be ready to share what we have with others.

Look for opportunities this week to speak on behalf of the Lord as well as to help someone. According to the apostle, if you do these things God will be pleased.