1. Near to the Heart of God A Study of the Book of Hebrews Lesson 36 Hebrews 13:17 – 25 Final Words of Encouragement

2. I. Introduction A.Most books begin with introductory information about author, recipients, occasion for writing – but not Hebrews. B.It is not until we come to the final verses of Hebrews that we are given any personal information about the author. C.Don’t get your hopes up, however, for while these verses were understood by the initial recipients, they won’t tell us much that we would like to know. D.These are important words; much could be said about them!

3. II. Follow your leaders, and pray for us (Hebrews 13:17-19, 24) A.Leaders are not mentioned until chapter 13. 1. Remember them & imitate their faith (vs. 7) 2. Obey them and submit to them (vs. 17). 3. Greet them (vs. 24) 4. Pray for the author (vss. 18-19) B.Follow your leaders: obey & submit (vs. 17) 1. “Leaders” (plural) 2. “Leaders,” not “elders” 3. Not “follow me,” but “follow them” C.Why follow? A. For their joy, which is for your good B. They will give account to God. C. Their goal is your good – they keep watch

4. D.John Piper 1. Watchfulness 2. Joyfulness 3. Seriousness E.Piper again, on “obey” and “submit” 1. A bent toward trusting our leaders. 2. A disposition to be supportive, in spirit and actions, of leaders’ goals and directions 3. A desire to imitate leaders’ faith 4. Be happy to comply with their instructions. http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByScriptu re/26/?pageSize=25&pageNumber=4 http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByScriptu re/26/?pageSize=25&pageNumber=4

5. F.Pray for us (vss. 18-19) 1. “Pray” only in 5:17; 13:18 2. Not, “Pray for them,” but “Pray for us” 3. Asking for prayer is acknowledging one’s weakness. 4. Prayer and a good conscience (vs. 18) a.2 Corinthians 1:11-12 b.2 Timothy 1:3-4 c.Hebrews 9:8-14 (esp. vss. 9, 14) 5. Pray for what? a.For godly conduct in all circumstances b.To be restored to readers soon (vs. 19)

6. III. Personal words (Hebrews 13:22-25) A.The original readers understood much more. B.What we know about the author 1. His target audience (vs. 22, comp. vs. 24) 2. His ability to teach in depth (vs. 22) 3. His association with Timothy (vs. 23) 4. His confinement (vs. 19) 5. Those with him, sending greetings (vs. 24) C.His intentions for writing this epistle 1. To encourage believers to persevere 2. His expectation: for them to grasp what he has written

7. IV. Benediction (Hebrews 13:20-21) A.Generally a review of past material B.The resurrection is a new theme – Why here? 1. Earlier emphasis on humanity of Jesus and of His exaltation to the right hand of the Father – to be a better High Priest 2. Note the parallels with Isaiah 63:11-13. 3. The resurrection here underscores chapter 11, and the faith of these readers. What is the worst man can do to us? God raised Jesus, and He will raise us as well. 4. It is not just our future resurrection, but God’s ability to equip us for every good work here – parallels Romans 8:11.

8. V. Conclusion A.Exhortation to leaders B.Exhortation to followers C.The author’s attitude toward leadership in the local church D.The importance of our participation in prayer E.The conclusion of Hebrews should give us insight into the problem passages. F.Verses 20-21 put our efforts into perspective. G.What should we have gained from this great epistle? What great truths have we gained?

9. Copyright © 2009 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. This is the edited PowerPoint presentation of Lesson 36 in the series, Near to the Heart of God, A Study of the Book of Hebrews prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh for May 17, 2009. Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit.