Vision Series: The Gift I often overlook

August 2nd, 2026/Seventh Day Adventist

Intro:

A few weeks ago, I found myself thinking about all the people who have shaped my faith. Not the famous pastors. Not the authors whose books sit on my shelf. I'm talking about real people. The people God placed in my life at exactly the right time.

The youth pastor who challenged me. The mentor who asked me hard questions. The pastor who faithfully opened God's Word every single week. The leaders who corrected me when I needed correction. The ones who believed in me long before I believed in myself.

As I was preparing this message, I started pulling out old pictures. Pictures of people who invested in me, encouraged me, challenged me, and helped shape who I am today. I didn't become who I am because of anything on my own, God used people.

Who would be on your screen?

Who first taught you how to pray?

Who helped you understand the Bible?

Who challenged you when you needed correction?

Who believed in you when you couldn't yet see what God was doing?

Those names matter because they're part of your testimony. They are evidence of God's grace at work in your life.

But here's what's interesting. We celebrate athletes. We follow influencers. We quote podcast hosts. We binge-watch people we'll probably never meet. Yet the men and women who quietly invested in our souls are often the easiest people to overlook. I think there's a few possible reasons for that.

Every day our culture tells us to trust ourselves. It tells us to follow our own instincts, become our own authority, and determine what's right for us. More and more, personal autonomy has become the highest value, especially when it comes to your spiritual life. If someone questions us, corrects us, or challenges us, our culture often assumes they're trying to control us.

But that’s not the case in every area of your life:

If a doctor says that you need to take these pills 2 times a day… we don’t question it.

If a physical therapist says to do these certain exercises if we want to heal, we do them.

If a lawyer says to remain quiet and let them do the talking… you shut up!

But if a pastor or spiritual leader challenges or corrects you, it’s often seen as control.

The bible paints a much different story:

Proverbs 3:5-7 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight. Don't be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil."

Proverbs 11:14 says, "Without guidance, a people will fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance."

Proverbs 15:22 says, “Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."

Judges 21:25 says “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him." Our culture celebrates 'Do what feels right.' The Bible describes that as one of the darkest seasons in Israel's history.
And in Ephesians 4, Paul says that Christ gave pastors and teachers to His Church "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ."

In other words, faithful spiritual leaders aren't a human invention. They are one of Jesus' gifts to His people. From Genesis to Revelation, God has always formed His people in community, under His Word, through faithful men and women who continually pointed people back to Him.

Faithful spiritual leaders aren't trying to replace Jesus. They're trying to help you follow Him. The greatest leaders disappear behind Jesus. That's exactly where Hebrews 13 takes us today.

Passage: Hebrews 13:7-17 CSB

7 Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.9 Don’t be led astray by various kinds of strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established by grace and not by food regulations, since those who observe them have not benefited.10 We have an altar from which those who worship at the tabernacle do not have a right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the most holy place by the high priest as a sin offering are burned outside the camp.12 Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, so that he might sanctify the people by his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing his disgrace. 14 For we do not have an enduring city here; instead, we seek the one to come.15 Therefore, through him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.16 Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices. 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Pray:

Background:

Before we begin walking through this passage, let me give you just enough context to understand what the author is doing.

For twelve chapters, the book of Hebrews has been building one overwhelming argument: Jesus is better. Everything in the Old Testament pointed forward to Christ, and now that Christ has come, there is nowhere else to turn.

As the letter comes to a close, however, the author becomes very practical. It's almost as though he's asking, "If Jesus really is better, what should that look like in everyday life?" So he begins talking about loving one another, showing hospitality, honoring marriage, being content, and then the conversation shifts to spiritual leadership. One of the primary ways Jesus cares for His Church is through faithful people who continually point others back to Him.

Let's look at the first thing he says.

Title: The Gift I Often Overlook

Main Points:

1. God Gives the Gift of Faithful Examples

   1. "Remember your leaders who have spoken God's word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith." - Hebrews 13:7
   2. There are three verbs in this verse that immediately stood out to me this week: remember, observe, and imitate. As I thought about them, I realized they all require the same thing. You can't remember someone's life if you've never spent time with them. You can't carefully observe someone's faith from a distance. Distance makes discipleship impossible. And you certainly can't imitate a faith you've never actually seen lived out. Faith is more often caught than taught.
   3. That's how He's always worked. Throughout Scripture, God consistently uses relationships to shape His people. Moses invested in Joshua. Paul invested in Timothy. Jesus invested in His disciples. God could have chosen any method He wanted to mature His people, but over and over again He chooses faithful men and women who help others follow Jesus. Christianity has never been designed to be lived in isolation.

   4. The writer tells us to "carefully observe the outcome of their lives." That's discipleship. It's much more than listening to someone teach. Observation requires proximity.

      1. It requires enough humility to admit that someone else may know something you don't.
      2. It requires enough curiosity to ask questions and enough consistency to watch how someone follows Jesus over time.

      3. Some of the greatest lessons I've ever learned didn't come from a sermon. They came from watching faithful people live.

         1. I watched how they handled disappointment.
         2. I watched how they prayed before difficult decisions.
         3. I watched how they remained faithful when life became hard. Long before I copied anything they taught, I found myself wanting to trust Jesus the way they trusted Jesus.
            5. Then the writer says something that I think is incredibly freeing. He doesn't tell us to imitate their personality, their gifting, or even their leadership style. He says, "Imitate their faith." That's because faith is transferable.

      4. Every one of us has different personalities, different gifts, and different callings, but every one of us is called to trust Jesus. God never asked you to become someone else. He asked you to trust Jesus like someone else.

      5. When you find someone whose confidence in Christ has been tested over time, whose character consistently reflects Jesus, and whose hope remains steady through both blessing and suffering, Scripture says, "That's worth imitating."

         6. I love that God is still writing stories of faith today. He is still raising up faithful men and women whose lives quietly point people to Jesus.

      6. They may never be known beyond their community.

      7. They may never write a book.
      8. They may never lead a large ministry.

      9. But their faithfulness will shape generations.

         7. In fact, here's something practical I'd encourage every family to do this week. Parents, ask your kids, "Who do you think shaped Mom and Dad's faith?"

      10. Kids, ask your parents, "Who shared Jesus with you? Who challenged you? Who helped you become the follower of Jesus you are today?"

      11. Those names shouldn't disappear with one generation. They're part of your spiritual family tree. They're part of the story of God's faithfulness in your family.

          8. Finally, this passage turns the spotlight back on every one of us. If someone carefully observed your life, what would they imitate?

      12. Would they imitate your dependence on Jesus? Your humility? Your courage?

      13. Most importantly, would they imitate your faith?
      14. Church, one of the greatest gifts God has given His Church is faithful men and women who point people to Jesus. May we never overlook that gift.

2. Don't Drift from the Gift

   1. 8. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." I don't think that's just a beautiful statement tucked into the middle of the chapter. I think it's the foundation of everything surrounding it.

      1. Leaders will come and go. Churches will grow and change. Culture will continue to shift. But Jesus never changes. His character doesn't change. His truth doesn't change. His gospel doesn't change.

      2. The Church doesn't need a new message. It needs fresh obedience to the old one. That's why faithful spiritual leaders don't spend their lives trying to create something new. They faithfully point people back to the same Jesus who has always been the hope of the world.

         2. That's exactly why the next verse warns us not to be carried away by "various kinds of strange teachings." The issue isn't simply false teaching. It's spiritual drift. Drift rarely happens overnight. It happens one small compromise at a time. It happens when we slowly begin believing that something new is better than something true. We begin chasing the latest trend, the newest voice, or the most popular opinion, and before long we've wandered away from the steady truth that has anchored believers for generations.
         3. We live in a world where we have access to more voices than any generation in history. Every day someone is trying to shape the way we think, the way we believe, and the way we live. The question isn't whether we're being influenced. The question is whether those voices are leading us closer to Jesus or pulling us away from Him. Faithful spiritual leaders are one of God's gifts because they continually point us back to what never changes instead of chasing whatever is new.
         4. Before we keep moving, I also want to acknowledge something that may be on the hearts of some people. When we talk about spiritual leadership, some immediately think about spiritual abuse. Sadly, that's because some have experienced it.

      3. If that's part of your story, I'm genuinely sorry. That wasn't God's design. Healthy spiritual leaders don't demand worship. They don't build their own kingdom. They don't replace Jesus. Healthy spiritual leaders continually point people to Jesus.

      4. The closer a leader gets you to Jesus, the healthier that leader is. The abuse of something good doesn't erase God's design for it. It simply reminds us how desperately we need leaders who are faithful to Christ.
         5. Church, that's why this gift matters so much. Jesus has never intended for His people to navigate life alone. In His kindness, He gives us faithful men and women who keep reminding us where our hope is found. They lovingly protect us from drifting, not by drawing attention to themselves, but by continually pointing us back to the One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
         6. That brings us to one of the hardest commands in this passage. If God has given faithful spiritual leaders as a gift to His Church, then how are we supposed to respond to that gift? The writer answers that question in verse 17.

3. Receive the Gift

   1. "Obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you." - Hebrews 13:17
   2. At first glance, those words can feel uncomfortable because they're so different from the messages we hear every day. Our culture celebrates independence. Scripture celebrates humble teachability. Our culture tells us to resist authority. Scripture reminds us that God often cares for His people through godly authority. Leadership isn't about having power over people. It's carrying responsibility for people.
   3. Before we go any further, it's important to notice what this verse does and does not say. It does not call us to blind obedience. It does not tell leaders to control people. In fact, the entire context has shown us exactly the opposite. Their authority is not about building up themselves, it's about faithfully stewarding the responsibility Christ has entrusted to them.

   4. The reason the writer calls believers to obey and submit is because faithful leaders "keep watch over your souls." That's a beautiful picture. They are spiritually alert so others can be spiritually protected.

      1. They pray.
      2. They teach.
      3. They correct.
      4. They encourage.
      5. They warn.
      6. They care.

      7. Most of that work happens quietly behind the scenes, and much of it is never seen by the congregation. Yet God says it matters because souls matter. There are very few responsibilities in life greater than helping someone remain faithful to Jesus.

         5. Then the writer adds something that should humble every pastor, elder, and spiritual leader in the room: "They will give an account." Personally, I don't read that as a privilege. I read it as a weight. One day every sermon, every decision, every conversation, every correction, and every opportunity to shepherd God's people will be brought before the Chief Shepherd.

      8. That's why healthy spiritual leadership should never produce arrogance. It should produce humility. Leaders don't belong above God's people. They serve beneath the authority of Christ and will one day answer to Him for how they cared for His Church.

         6. The writer then says something surprising: "Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you." Notice where the benefit falls. This isn't ultimately about making pastors happy. It's about the health of the church. When there is trust, teachability, and mutual love between shepherds and the people they serve, everyone flourishes. The church becomes stronger. Disciples mature. Families become healthier. The mission moves forward. God designed His Church to function this way because He loves His people.
         7. So what does this look like practically? It means we become teachable. We pursue relationships instead of remaining isolated. We ask questions instead of assuming motives. We pray for our pastors, elders, and spiritual leaders because we recognize the weight they carry. We don't expect perfection, but we do look for faithfulness. And when we find faithful men and women who consistently point us to Jesus, we thank God for them because they are one of His gifts to the Church.
         8. As I look back over my own life, I can honestly say I've never regretted placing myself under healthy spiritual leadership. Some of the greatest breakthroughs in my walk with Jesus came because someone loved me enough to encourage me, challenge me, or lovingly correct me. Looking back, I don't see those moments as burdens. I see them as gifts. God cared enough about me to place faithful people in my life who kept pointing me back to Jesus.
         9. Church, that's the invitation of Hebrews 13. Treasure the gift. Don't overlook the men and women God has placed in your life to help you follow Christ. Learn from them. Pray for them. Honor them. And then ask God to make you that kind of person for someone else. May our lives become the kind of lives that future generations will remember, carefully observe, and imitate, not because we pointed people to ourselves, but because we faithfully pointed them to Jesus.

Closing:

The tragedy is that we've become so familiar with this gift that we've stopped treasuring it. We've overlooked one of the ways Jesus has chosen to care for His people.

So before we leave today, I want to invite us to respond. Maybe for some of you, your response is gratitude. As I was sharing those pictures at the beginning of the message, faces immediately came to your mind. You remembered a parent, a pastor, a mentor, a Sunday school teacher, or a friend who faithfully pointed you to Jesus. Maybe your step today is simply to thank God for them. Maybe this week you need to write a note, send a text, make a phone call, or simply tell them, "Thank you for helping me follow Jesus." Don't let gratitude stay in your heart. Express it.

For others, your response is humility. If you're honest, you've been trying to follow Jesus on your own. You've kept people at a distance. You've resisted correction. You've been independent, suspicious, or unwilling to let anyone speak into your life. Today is an opportunity to lay down your pride and simply say, "Lord, make me teachable again. Help me receive the gifts You've placed in my life instead of resisting them."

And finally, I think God is calling some of us to become the gift we've talked about all morning. Parents, your kids are watching your faith. Crew leaders, people are watching your faith. Students, your friends are watching your faith. Every one of us is leaving behind an example. Ask the Lord to make your life the kind of life that points people to Jesus. Live in such a way that one day someone will remember your faith, observe your life, and imitate your trust in Christ.

So this morning, if one of those responses is stirring in your heart, I simply want to invite you to come. Maybe you're thanking God for someone who discipled you. Maybe you're asking God to give you a teachable spirit again. Maybe you're surrendering yourself and saying, "Jesus, make me the kind of person whose life points others to You."

As we worship, the altar is open. Let's respond to the kindness of Jesus, who loves His Church enough to continually give her exactly what she needs.

Invitation:

If you want to make a decision to follow Jesus. Then join me and everyone else in the building as we pray out loud together. It’s not the prayer that saves you, but your faith, making Jesus Lord of your life. We don’t let anyone go on the journey alone. If you have faith in Jesus, then let’s join together as we pray…

Prayer of Salvation:

Jesus, I acknowledge that I need you

I confess that I have sinned against you

I believe that God raised you from the dead

And right now, by faith, I say “Jesus is Lord”

Thank you for forgiving me

By your grace I am saved

And by your power I am set free