This is in the end of the book,
in some of the exhortation, and I think that it is a good one.
So if you have your eyes upon verse 17, Hebrews chapter 13,
we'll read that for our beginning. Then of course, as always, there
are many verses that will be brought before us to confirm
this subject in other places as well from the scripture. But
first of all, let's begin here. We're looking for that part,
spiritual watchman, and you'll see it in verse 17. Here we read. Obey them that have the rule,
or some say that are your leaders, and submit yourself, for they
watch for your soul, as they that must give an account, that
they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable
for you. Now look again at those few words,
they watch, for your soul. Now, let's also include as a
part of our text, back in verse 7 of the same chapter, you have
a like statement here. Remember them which have the
rule over you, and have spoken unto you the word of God, whose
faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Now, these are part of the closing
exhortations of the Hebrew epistle. And it shows us, I believe, that
the inspired author of Hebrews follows or uses basically the
same order that we find in the church epistles in the New Testament. And that is after this order. Number one, always there came
first the doctrine doctrinal section of the scripture or of
the book, including in that any corrections or any errors or
any heresies that were present at that time among them. And
this seemed to be the first thing that was addressed by the New
Testament writers in the church epistle. And the second thing
that we find big in them was the practical section or the
setting forth of the duty and of the relationship of one believer
unto another by putting into practice that which is set forth
and is growing out of that doctrine. So that our practice, therefore,
in daily living and the sound doctrine delivered unto us, they
have a relationship one unto the other. Now here in the Hebrew
epistle, it is the same order because the doctrinal section
is first. and it runs all the way from
the opening of the book down through verse 18 of chapter 10. All of that basically is a doctrinal
section setting forth the great truth in regard to the Lord Jesus
Christ. Then in chapter 10 and verse
19, and under the end of it, is his commentary, the ending
of it, and the exhortation. Now John Brown was one writer
who divided the practical into two parts. That is from chapter
10 and verse 19 to the end of chapter 12 was the first part,
and he calls this general exhortation and warnings and such like. Now
do not say that there's no doctrine in here because sound doctrine
is mixed in together with it. But then secondly, the second
part in chapter 13, which he calls, that is John Brown does,
particular exhortations that are delivered under those to
whom he writes. And Brother Brown also divides
chapter 13 into two parts, verse 1 through verse 19, Here we have
an exhortation to various Christian duties and responsibility and
actions and our guide one toward another. And verse 20 under the
end is what we might call the concluding salutation. And I don't know about you, but
as we read it, it seems to have a Pauline flavor as we look at
it, but we won't get into that subject this morning. Now, if
we may, let's spend a short time distinguishing again the two
halves of this epistle and their respective emphases again. The first part, down to chapter
10 and verse 18, is a marvelous, and I do mean marvelous, display
of Christianity and of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't forget,
mainly from the Jewish standpoint are these things written, with
an emphasis upon the relationship of this truth unto Jewry, that
Christ is more excellent than any under the old economy, and
that we indeed do have a great high priest And that great high
priest has secured everlasting life and pardon of sin by his
sacrifice and then has entered into heaven in the very presence
of God himself there to appear in our behalf. And then beginning
at chapter 10 and verse 19, he makes application or he begins
to make application of the previous truth. Notice, by saying such
things as, having therefore these things. Then in the 22nd verse,
let us draw near. Verse 23, let us hold fast. Verse 24, let us consider. So he is exhorting them unto
the things that ought to be done. Now this note we might note here,
a proper knowledge and a good understanding of the person and
the work of Christ and our relationship unto him is an undeniable influence
upon the way that the Christian life is lived. To have a right
notion of Christ, of his work, and of our relationship unto
him has a strong and undeniable influence upon how the Christian
life is lived. Now that being said, let's come
to chapter 13 and the final exhortation and closing greeting. Now there
are exhortation unto divine duties that are to be found chapter
13. Let's scan some real quickly. In verse 1, let brotherly love
continue. In verse 2, be not forgetful
to entertain stranger. And he brings in the example
of Abraham. And in verse 3, remember them
that are in bonds. Some of them may be for the sake
of the gospel. Verse 5, let your conversation
be without covetousness. In verse 15, Let us offer the
sacrifice of praise continually unto God. And verse 18, pray
for us. Now these are just a few of the
exhortations that are found here. And again, I think they're slanted. Toward the Jewish viewpoint and
then our subject and it's confirming text in the verse in verse 7
Remember them which have the rule over you which have spoken
unto you the Word of God and verse 17 obey them that have
the rule over you for they watch and for your soul. Now, ere we consider these texts,
let's call something to our remembrance, that these things we read in
Hebrews should be viewed in the light, again, of the circumstances
of those Jews who would read this Hebrew epistle. and in context
of the epistle as a whole. Because we remember that Judaism,
with all of its sacrifices and all of its ceremonies, its days
and its season, its time, its temples, its rites, its high
priesthood, its sacrifices, and all that pertained there unto
it, died with the Lord Jesus Christ up on the cross. When
our Lord died upon the cross, Judaism died with it. So that some of those who embraced
and professed Christ in that day, being Jews, were persecuted
and they were pressured in many ways to return again unto Judaism
or at least inculcated in as a part of the new way and of
Christianity. There are statements here that
ring with significance in the eyes of a former adherent unto
Judaism. For example, look at verse 8. You think about this verse, it
just jumps out at us. Sometimes it doesn't seem to
have a connection to the context or the flow of thought. But he
writes, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever. Why is this brought in at this
particular place? Jesus, our high priest, is eternal
and immutable, a high priest forever, the same in any time
and in any situation, and in any circumstance. Jesus Christ
the same yesterday and today and forever. No, he's not upon
the earth, but he is the same yesterday and today and forever. And then look at verse 9 also,
if you might. The heart is established by grace. not by diet. In verse 10, we
have an altar. In verse 15, we offer the sacrifice
of praise unto God. Jesus died, says the author,
without the gate or without the camp. So therefore, let us go
forth without the gate or the camp and share or bear in the
reproach of our Lord. In other words, converted Jews
were to completely separate themselves from Judaism and espouse wholeheartedly
the doctrine and the person of Christianity. And one great aid
to accomplish that was the instruction and the example of their Christian
minister who had preached unto them the word of God, who had
watched over their soul and the welfare of them. Now, as we see,
this is mentioned in two verses, verse 7 and verse 17, separated,
however, by other spiritual instruction. Why is it that these verses stand
at some distance from another? Why are they not together? Are they saying the same thing?
Are they separate admonition from the pen of the apostle?
Now, at first glance, they seem that they express the same sentiment,
though there is some variation in the words of the two verses
and exhortation. But there are some differences
as well as there are likenesses, such as the motivation that is
given, the injunction that is given for obedience in each of
the verses. The injunction in verse 7 is
this, whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation. In verse 17, yield to those that
are leaders and guides and overseers over you, for they are watching
for your soul as those that must give an account. Now, in reading
verse 7, I was a little bit surprised I was surprised when I read that
almost every expositor that I have in my library, and that I read
concerning this, take the position that verse 7, hear me, refers
to their past leaders and past minister who had spoken unto
them the word of God, who had been their guides and their teacher
and were examples for them to remember and to imitate, and
were likely, so say the expositor, not yet still alive at the time
of this writing. Now this was the view of John
Brown, John Owen, A.W. Pink, the footnotes of the New
Geneva Bible, and of others. These men were not yet alive
when this was written. This is based in part upon the
opening word in verse 7, remember. Now the tense is said to be,
remember, keep on calling unto your mind, such as have in the
past spoken unto you the word of God. Owen said it like this,
to be mindful of them, to bear in mind, and to keep them in
memory. preachers that have meant much
to us and have helped us much in our Christian life, and to
hold fast the sound truth which they have taught and which they
have contended for, some at the very hazard and the danger of
their life. Now, this is a distinguishing
mark that the Lord God has put in the ministry, that they speak
the Word of God, that they stand upon the scripture, that they
declare only the saith the Lord, and that they strive during their
ministry to build up the saints in the most holy faith of Christ. How we hold in our heart and
in our memory Those who taught us the things of God in time
past, how we revered them and how we hold them in high estimation. Those who came and boldly taught
unto us the doctrine of the grace of God and caused and helped
us to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord. And
so the author exhorts them to follow their faith in remembering
them, their faith and their example of former instructors that they
had in Christ, perhaps some of them then having gone to be with
the Lord. And in some cases, those who
have left us their writings and their exegesis of the scripture,
their commentaries and on the written word of our God. So that, in a sense, these men
that we hold dear are like Abel in a way, in that they, being
dead, are yet speaking unto us by their writing, by the word
of God, and by their commentary, though they are not yet alive. And then notice at verse 7, concludes
with these words, whose faith follow, considering the end of
their conversation. Now the word conversation is
a word that's become sort of ancient and archaic in the scripture
at least out of the King James Version. None of those 12 mentions
where it is used in the New Testament have anything to do with speech,
oral speech, or conversation, or talk, or something that has
been said. or even the way that one talks. The word conversation means conduct,
it means behavior, it means manner of life, and how one conducts
themselves in their life. You can see that very clearly
in Ephesians 2 and verse 3, again in Galatians 1 and verse 13,
where Paul said, my conversation in time past. He simply meant
his manner of life. And the Apostle number 7 speaks
of the end of their conversation or their manner of life, the
end or the outcome of their way of life, and to imitate the faith
and the practice. And like their beloved and departed
teacher, they were to persevere unto the end in the Word of God
and in the faith of Christ. Before we leave that verse, let's
say this about the Word of God. And by Word of God, since the
end of the apostolic era, we refer to the written, the inspired
written Word of God as expounded by those that the Lord puts or
calls into the ministry. For this is the only means of
communicating the mind and the will of God to the church in
our day is by and through the scripture. Away with your tradition
and the opinions of men and the doctrines of men. And away with
your dreams and your vision and your so-called revelation. We
will none of your private interpretation or new revelation, never heard
of by any except by you, or a new gospel given only unto you, away
with your charlatan behavior that makes merchandise out of
the people rather than building them up in the word of God. and away with those who modernize
Christianity in order that they may try to make it more appealing
to the world and on the sinners. Away with that kind of an approach. On the other hand, Let us hold
in high esteem those who faithfully held forth and held high the
Word of God and the Word, a person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, coming to verse 17 and our
primary text of the morning and our verse as we take a look at
it. And as we do, we can see that
there are three Very clear points of emphasis here for us to note. Number one, the exhortation of
their relationship unto their leaders or their overseer and
to their spiritual guide. Obey and submit. Now, I'm of
the opinion, or of the mind, of such men as John Gill and
others, that in scriptures there were ministers ordinary and ministers
extraordinary. Extraordinary, such as the original
apostle, including Paul and some other, who were taught and commissioned
by him, given extraordinary gifts and ability and discernment with
regard to the things of God and given authority. Also what we
might call ordinary minister, call pastors or elders or overseer
as have not been directly called by Christ in person or in the
flesh, but by the persuasion of the Holy Spirit of God, causing
them, according to 1 Timothy 3 and verse 1, to desire the
office of a bishop or an overseer. That is, he aspires in his heart
unto this office, and it is a result of the influence of the Spirit
of God the gifts of the ministry and the ability of the ministry
are found and present and operative in these men and they are of
one and the same mind with the scripture now in in light or
connection of that I'll say this before we move on that is that
scripture knows absolutely nothing of a Pope or or a territorial
bishop at all in the scripture of one who lords it over the
flock of God according to 1 Peter 5 and verse 3. And scripture knows nothing on
the other hand of a leaderless assembly where all may stand
and give their point of view and share Christ. Now, the second
point that we want to note is a reason for the opening exhortation
in verse 17. Being part of a local assembly,
having a duly called and ordained minister of God, follow and submit
unto their leadership as overseers, for they watch for your soul. They are, if I may call them
so, spiritual watchmen. And they oversee your soul. They guard your spiritual welfare
and development to a certain extent. But we'll say more on
that shortly. And then thirdly we notice, the
third part, They have one to whom they are accountable, that
is the minister or the overseer must give an account of his ministry
unto God. They're shepherds of the flock,
they are overseer, but they are only under shepherds under the
authority of Christ. There is one who is the great
shepherd of the sheep. That's found in verse 20 of this
same chapter. There is one called the chief
shepherd as found in 1 Peter 5 and verse 4. The apostle adds
that they may give this account unto God or unto Christ with
joy, not with grief. That's why Paul could say, I'm
jealous over you with a godly jealousy that I may present you
as a chaste virgin unto Christ. We had that a Sunday or two ago. While John could say in 3 John
and verse 4, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children
walk in the truth. Then you will remember that each
must give an account unto God. Matthew chapter 12, 36, Romans
14 and verse 12. Everyone must give an account
unto Christ. Let's go back to our main text
and our main subject. And it's these few words, they
watch for your soul. Now, it goes almost without saying
that this applies only to true Christian ministers whom the
Lord has raised up and whom the assembly has accepted as their
minister, preacher, and overseer. And one expectation of such a
minister is to watch for their soul, that is, to spiritually
watch for their soul. Also notice that. Not their body,
not their spiritual acquisition, not how to prosper and gain a
lot of this world's good, but they are to watch for their soul
as it has its relation to Christ and as it grows and lives out
its life. It is likely that this phrase,
watching for your soul, is another reference to something that is
prominent, frequently found in the Old Testament scripture,
and that is of a person or a man who was known under the old economy
as a watchman. Most cities were walled about,
especially with enemy dangers being about them, and they had
walls about them, and a watchman was on that wall or in a tower
that had been built for that purpose, and he watched out for
any approaching danger or enemy or stranger. You can see that
in 2 Kings 9, verse 17, again in Ezekiel 33. There's a great chapter on the
Old Testament watchmen. Sometimes they watched over the
vineyards to make sure that varmints and quitters did not come in
and spoil them. Their job was to watch for enemies
and for thieves. and to sound the trumpet to arouse
the people and alarm the people of the danger. Alas, sometime
the watchman was himself asleep on the wall and therefore not
able to sound the alarm. But I think out of this grew
the simile of a spiritual watchman, and particularly because this
is familiar to the Jew to whom this epistle is written. In Ezekiel 33 and 7, So thou,
O son of man, even as there was a watchman on the wall, so, O
son of man, as for you, O my prophet, I have set thee a watchman
unto the house of Israel. Therefore ye shall hear the word
at my mouth and warn them For me warn them in that case of
the impending judgment and wrath of God to come upon them if they
Repented not of their sin look at Isaiah chapter 62 and verse
6 sometime in that line even so There are those in the churches
that are to watch for the soul of the people, and in doing so,
they hold forth the truth of the Word of God, and they must
be able to recognize heresy. and know it to be a danger under
the spirituality of the people, and warn them against it, and
cry out like a trumpet against those heresies that are floating
about in the world today. And they watch far, and they
recognize the wolf in sheep's clothing, and they make sure
that the trumpet does not give an uncertain sound that the people
might not be warned. Their aims are twofold. Number
one, to glorify and to honor God and his son, the Lord Jesus
Christ, through the preaching of the word of God, to preach
Christ crucified, and hear this, to maintain purity in the preaching
of the gospel. Oh, that that were the goal and
desire of many today. But secondly, they were to look
out for the spiritual welfare and the enrichment of the people
of God and of their relation to him, to promote their spiritual
life. and to do so by and through the
Word of God, to see and recognize a clear and a present danger,
and then to guide them in the way of grace. and according to
the truth of the word of God. How little truth, how little
scripture is used in so much preaching in the churches today. Some don't even use a text to
get up and to speak and to preach. I'd like for you to turn, if
you want to, to the 20th chapter of the book of Acts. I think
there's a passage here that is appropriate under our subject
and our study of the morning, and that would be Acts chapter
20 and beginning in verse 28 and reading down through verse
32. The scene is set like this. Paul
is meeting with the elders from Ephesus and this will be the
last time that he will see them face to face. And so he's instructing
them and in verse 28 and following, take heed therefore unto yourself
and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased
with his own blood. For I know this, that after my
departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing
the flock, but another danger also of your own self shall men
arrive. speaking perverse things to draw
away disciples after them. Therefore, watch and remember
that by the space of three years, I cease not to warn everyone
day and night with tears. And now, brethren, I commend
you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build
you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified. Now again, you notice there you
have the word watch. in verse 31. But first, let us
revisit the thought mentioned earlier of the two sorts of minister
in that time. Number one, the apostolate, and
number two, what the Geneva Bible refers to, and I like this description,
the new generation of leaders. new generation beside and after
the apostle. Just hear the words and the phrases
again in this passage in Acts chapter 20. Take heed. To who? For whose sake? The flock. The
Holy Ghost made you overseer. Feed the church of God. Watch
out for grievous woe. I commend you to God and the
word of his grace, which is able to build you up. Now, these men,
elders called there by Paul from Ephesus, were to oversee the
flock. setting a diligent watch out
for heresy, for wolves in sheep's clothing, and such like. Watch
for a danger. And that danger, we read it,
would be from two sources. It would be from without, and
it would be from within. From without would come grievous
wolves devouring the flock. But from within would rise up
men deceiving them that they might follow after them speaking
perverse things contrary to the truth and to the gospel and to
Christ. Now upon these overseers was
a heavy spiritual responsibility. They were like shepherds who
tend a flock out in the wild or out in the wilderness, ever
watchful for wolves or for thieves that might come or devour and
that might steal. Wolves, you know, are the natural
enemies of sheep. And then they were to feed the
good word of God unto them. They were to feed the flock of
God with a good word. By the way, The good word of
God is the best antidote against the poison of heresy. For knowing the truth brings
freedom, as our Lord said in John chapter 8 and verse 32. And this is the truth as it is
in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 4 and verse 21. This truth is like
an anchor on the soul. Think about that and picture
it in our mind, that Ephesians 4 and verse 14, be no more tossed
to and fro and carried about here and there with every wind
of doctrine. Now, by the way, the passage
in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 10 through verse 16 is very pertinent
to our subject now and today. That is that the exalted Christ
gave the ministry or the edifying and the cohesion of the body
of Christ to ground them in the truth. that they might not be
deceived and by slight and cunning craftiness of men drawn off or
away from the truth of Christ. These men lie in wait to deceive,
he said. And very quickly, let's consider
the words of Paul, tossed to and fro, tossed about, carried
or driven. with every wind of doctrine or
literally of teaching. Carried here with this teaching
and yonder with that teaching. What a mental picture does this
give us again? A swirling, changing wind. Blowing in this direction and
then in that. Blowing this way and then that
way. The winds of heresy. are never
calm. The winds of heaven, of heresy,
are never calm and are never settled. They never die down,
but they veer and they shift and they swift, coming from every
direction. I wanted to read what John Eady
said in Ephesians 14, and he painted a good word picture that
such winds of doctrine can cause those not sound in the doctrine
of Christ, quote, to surge about in fruitless commotion, unquote. Think about that statement. To
surge about here and there, round and about, in fruitless commotion. Yea, we see it at all time. It's happening constantly. It's
going on continually. As one said, I thought this quaint,
How many go the rounds of all sects, of all parties and creeds,
and never receive satisfaction? Unquote. How many have tried
this, they've tried that, they've been in this and the other, and
they've never found satisfaction or peace and calm in their soul? And then there are those who
have just enough interest and just enough knowledge of religion
to snare them in some religious novelty that comes along or that
is brought before them. Some have been both rationalists
and mystics, leaving one going to the other. Some running from
antinomianism have fallen into legalism and vice versa. Some have been both Protestant
and Catholic and vice versa. Others have been both Jew and
Christian. And some have had a profession
of Calvinism and of sovereign grace, and yet that itself is
no immunity from apostasy just because one learns the doctrine
of grace. Turning to the epistle of 2nd
Peter, if you'd like to turn there just a verse or two, then
we'll be in 1st Peter, then we'll be in 1st Thessalonians chapter
5. But in 2nd Peter, chapter 2 and
verse 3. And through covetousness shall
they with feigned words make merchandise of you whose judgment
now the long time lingereth not and their damnation slumbereth
not. Make merchandise of the people. use them for their own gain and
the enrichment of themselves. Then in 1 Peter and chapter 5,
we have a passage from him, Peter, who puts himself there in chapter
5, verse 1 through 4, the elders which are among you I exhort,
who also am an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and
also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Feed
the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight, not
by constraint but willingly, not for filthy lucre but of a
ready mind, neither as being lords over God's heritage but
as being examples unto the flock. And when the chief shepherd shall
appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5,
I'd like to read verse 12 and verse 13. 1 Thessalonians 5,
12 and 13. We beseech you brethren to know
them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord, and
admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their
work's sake, and to be at peace among yourself. Now, brother,
we close with these exhortations. The ministry is not a vocation
simply. It's not simply a way to make
a living, a good easy living. It is a calling. The ministry
is a divine calling. It's not something you're forced
into, not by constraint, said Peter, but willingly, and not
for filthy lucre, not to just make a good living and line your
pocket. But for the sake of the people
and the Word of God, the ministry is a calling. It is called in
Ephesians 4, a gift of God unto the churches. A gift. He has
given gifts unto man. And he gave some apostles. prophets, evangelists, pastor,
teacher, and such like. And the Word of God is truth. And the Word of God settles every
matter. We make our decision on doctrine
from the Word of God. not from Brother Put-N-Take,
but from the Word of God and what it has to say. Doctrine
is founded on the Scripture, on the Word of God. Then we find
disagreements among good people, but we can agree it is the Word
of God that is our guide, our rule of government, and our rule
of life. And thank God for that. And they
watch for your soul, as they that them said, must answer for
it and give an account. Every man's work shall be tried
by fire, said the Apostle Paul.