Psalm 138: 1, 3									Rev. S. de Marie
Psalm 25: 7, 10
Psalm 23: 1 - 3
Psalm 138: 4								Reading:	Heb. 13: 8-25
Hymn 47: 8, 9, 10							Text:		Heb. 12:14 & 13:20, 21

Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ
It has already been a long  time ago that we were able to celebrate the  Lord's Supper. But that does not mean that we are restricted in our remembrance of the work of Christ in His sacrifice. But we should never forget to also lift our hearts to Jesus Christ who is seated at the right hand of God. Every day our expectation is also from Him and from God the Father, now and in the future. Whatever happens. 
Let us consider that in the proclamation of Heb. 12:14 and Heb. 13: 20 and 21 under the theme:

The prayer to the God of Peace for Christ's care as the great Shepherd of His sheep.
1. He redeems them.
2. He sanctifies them.
3. To God be all honour.

1. The epistle to the Hebrews is addressed to a congregation under great pressure to do wrong. A congregation that therefore experiences the tension of the diminishing faith and the danger of losing courage, confidence, hope and faith. In this epistle the living Christ is proclaimed to them. As the Reconciliator of all sins, as Mediator of the new covenant. The congregation must learn to look to Him again and expect true life only from Him again. And thus receive in Him the hope and comfort to be able to persevere in their faith.
Our text forms a blessing at the end of this letter. This blessing is not intended to give a nice conclusion to an edifying letter. God's Word never has superfluous words, only that which give form. In fact, our text has words that are very deep, essential for our lives.
It is, as it were, a summary: that Christ is the only High Priest and the good Shepherd who gave His life as a sacrifice for His people. To save His people from the penalty of sin and to set them free from a hopeless situation because of disobedience. Congregation, we say so easily:  Christ is the good shepherd, thinking of His tender care. But let us never forget that as a Shepherd, He gave Himself as a living sacrifice. To deliver us as His sheep, as His flock, from the power of sin and the power of death. To transfer us from the domain of darkness into the circle of God's light and love. Expecting damnation, we have received a view of eternal glory in Him.
He is really the only good Shepherd for us, also the great Shepherd, as it says here. The Great Shepherd who is mighty to preserve and to lead us as His redeemed sheep.
In the first place, Christ provides for our peace with God the Father. The peace that was broken by our sins, but has now been restored by Him. That cost him his life. But thereby with His blood He made the covenant between God and all who believe in Him, an everlasting covenant. That's how we hear it in verse 20.
And congregation, this is also the decisive message for you today. This is the glad tidings for you as a congregation every day. You have Christ as your good and great Shepherd. Through Him you may live in peace with God the Father. In Him, you now know God the Father as the God of peace.  You are sheep of the one flock of that great Shepherd Who lives!
Christ lives. Your Shepherd lives. Very important to also realize.
But Christ was not only the good Shepherd in contrast to all false shepherds.
It is precisely through his blood that he is the great Shepherd, who lives and is mighty in leading all his sheep, those of the old and the new testament.
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete...
Yes, congregation, you may say it in faith with the words of Psalm 100:
We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
A message to be silent. For, in which way have we earned this? Only from undeserved grace. Let us remember that all the days of our life. It is the loving-kindness of the Lord as the prophet Jeremiah said:
Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed Because His compassion fail not......They are new every morning (Lam. 3: 23)
The Shepherd who redeemed us through His blood, He lives! He sits at the right hand of God the Father to keep us as His flock in the redemption that He has brought about. 
In this way we can continue every day of our life. We know that we have been bought by Christ and we are led by Him, as our great Shepherd, to God our Father. And in Him, God the Father pours out, to us as His children, everything necessary to live with Him. In peace with Him, according to His will and to His glory. What comfort!
We belong to Christ! We are His possession! Both in life and death. And God is our Father through Him. He will give us what is good, and avert evil, remove it or work it for our benefit. He gives us everything we need to live in peace with Him and with one another. He is the God of peace. That gives peace and confidence!

2. The prayer to the God of Peace for Christ's care as the great Shepherd of His sheep. In the first place we saw that He redeems them. We now see that He sanctifies them.
The great shepherd Jesus Christ redeemed us as His sheep. He did so at the expense of His blood, His life. He did that for you all, great or small.
 But God also wants to do great things in you, great or small, as His sheep, through Jesus Christ. In fact, this is the main thought of this prayer. Building on the forgiveness of your sins. as his sheep, Christ will also work out your sanctification.  That you conform and belong to God. He wants to establish your renewal, your new obedience, your daily conversion, your devotion to God. Your life in peace with God and before God.
We must constantly pray for that.  Reconciliation is an unexpected miracle of grace. We thereby received peace. But also sanctification for the sheep, to live in that peace as an unexpected miracle. For that sanctification also does not come from yourselves.

Yes, in the foregoing, the Hebrews have been strongly called to a holy life, as a life befitting God and the great Shepherd. As a life from the remission of sins. This necessity for obedience to the faith is also there for us every day.
In several places the epistle speaks of the necessary zeal, perseverance of faith and faithfulness.
For example, in chapter 12 verse 14 we read the exhortation:
Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
A very serious and penetrating admonition to all of us. We cannot meet the Lord if we do not want to pursue peace and our sanctification. We will never be allowed to approach the God of peace if we ourselves do not want peace with others. We cannot come before the holy God if we do not want to sanctify ourselves in marriage or in courtship or in speaking.
But congregation, just because those calls are so penetrating, we also need this prayer from Hebrews 13: 21:
Now may the God of peace....make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ...
What is implored here of God is absolutely necessary in order to be able to remain with God in peace, and in mutual peace. It is a prayer for the indispensable help of God and Christ for a holy life and a life in peace.
The Hebrews, and we as well, cannot do all this on our own.
May the God of peace work that in us through the great Shepherd. So that we do what is pleasing in His sight. So that we do what He approves, that which pleases Him.
Congregation, your Savior is busy, night and day, pleading for His own, to send His Spirit to them, to work this out in them. If you faithfully put your need in the hands of the Lord in this way and expect your help from Him and therefore pray to Him, then God will also give this to you, great and small. The Lord Jesus said about the grapevine in John 15:
...for without Me you can do nothing.
But also:
If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
God the Father considers the blood of His Son and He takes note of His intercession. And so He gives you everything necessary to pursue peace with everyone else and to sanctify you before God. That is how He wants to live and work in you. That is how He equips you. In this way He prepares you for service in His Kingdom. To follow Christ with a new obedience. In harmony and in holiness. See how necessary this prayer is, especially when there are troubles and tensions, unrest and discontent. Pursuing peace with everyone is a constant commitment towards peace in all of God's household. Peace with everyone, none excepted. So not only with those who are close to you, but with everyone who have been brought together by the Great Shepherd.
The words of our text puts this prayer on our lips to keep praying to the God of Peace:
Lord God make me steadfast, surely make me faithful. Work in me the desire and love to do good works, according to Thy Word and will. Grant me the willingness and ability to live according to all of Thy commandments. Grant me the willingness to participate in the church gathering work of our Great Shepherd. And make me continuously work for the peace and up-building of Thy church.
Congregation, this is not about minor issues which we can improve upon a bit. Nor is it just about issues that cause trouble. It truly concerns all our good works. To do every good work, we need to be equipped by God. To do what is good, that which is pleasing to Him.
That which is fitting in the life of an eternal covenant for which Christ gave His blood.

3. The necessary petition for Christ's care as the great Shepherd of His sheep. We saw, in the first point: He redeems them; in the second point: He sanctifies them. Our last point now is: To God be all honour.
Our text ends with a song of praise. A song of praise, upon the God of Peace who gave his Son, to our great Shepherd, for He equip us, sanctifies us and lead us to eternal salvation.
That song of praise is also not a nice completion of a solemn conclusion. No, this exhortation of praise to the God of peace is deeply concerned with the very meaning of us as redeemed children.
Because we don't live here for ourselves. But for the Lord.
We have been redeemed through Christ to God's honour and glory. The sanctification of your life also has that aim.
Brothers and sisters, the Lord wants to equip you for good works, to please Him. The climax thereby is: the glorification of His Name.
To this end God created you as a human being as His image. To this end He gathered you as His people. For Himself, for His service and for His glory. For this purpose God the Father sent His Son to earth. To this end He provided peace, restoration of the relationship of His people with Him. That you as His children might glorify Him! In life here on earth. In the church, In the families, in marriages. 
We see that here, at the end of our text with great emphasis:
... to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen
The praise to the Lord on account of His glorious work on and in you - that praise must never end in your life on earth. That praise will be continued for all eternity. For that praise, that glorification, is due to the Lord as the God who is eternal. The Lord must receive eternal honour, because He is worthy of eternal honour. Congregation do you see it that way? Does this have an important place in your life?
The Lord wants to work on that praise in you. Already on this earth. He continues with that. So that when all of His are united, God the Father and God the Son will come in perfection to their honour and praise in all of them..
We hear of that praise in several places in the book of Revelation, as John relates in Rev. 5:13:
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying, 'Blessing and honour and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever.
And in Rev. 19 we hear the song of victory.  Then a voice came from the throne saying:
Praise our God, all you His servants, and those who fear Him, both small and great!
Brothers and sisters, the Lord also wants to hear from you, your Amen, in response. That you agree that this is the great goal in your life.
Our good works must reflect this, so that others who see them may also glorify God. But for that, peace will also have to blossom in the church. For the God of peace wants to hear praise and worship as from one mouth, in harmony,  in one accord. Let us pray and work for that.
Congregation, see how necessary this prayer is. You thereby acknowledge continuous dependance on God's blessing. But then, you will also attune your life, your speech and your actions on this prayer. By a holy life and in mutual peace. Live like that out of grace, every day. Allow yourself to be guided by the great Shepherd of the sheep and focus your life on the God of Peace.
To Him be the glory forever and ever.

Amen!