RELATING TO CHURCH LEADERSHIP I. INTRO Heb 13:17 II. RECOGNIZING THE AUTHORITY OF LEADERS

RELATING TO CHURCH LEADERSHIPI. INTRO Heb 13:17

II. RECOGNIZING THE AUTHORITY OF LEADERS

THE COMMAND TO OBEYTHE COMMAND TO SUBMIT 1Thes 5:12-13

Don’t fight with them. ~ “Live in peace with one another.”~ Peace is the absence of conflict, of

course, and it is something both leaders and members must work hard to maintain if the church is to glorify God.

~ The absence of conflict is not synonymous with agreement,

however.

~ We can disagree with our leaders on various issues without creating conflict, as long as we hold our

opinions with a godly humility and graciousness (cf. Prov 18:2; 19:27; Eph 4:15; Col 4:6).

~ Jay Adams:

“Only after great care and willingness to be taught and corrected by the leadership after they explain the Word of God to him,

may [a member] refuse to submit to them. And then may he do so only if he is thoroughly convinced of their failure to base their case upon the Scriptures. He may not refuse to submit to authority because of personal differences or because of conflicts of any other sort. He must remember always that the authority to which he submits is not theirs but rather is the authority of Christ….

Even in those rare instances in which he may find himself basically at odds with the leadership of the Church, a member must be careful about the manner in which he differs. He may not do so in a rebellious or independent spirit. Such differences must be stated in a spirit of sorrow and with a willingness to work toward biblical agreement (Philippians 4:2: “be of one mind in the Lord”).”

~ Mack and Swavely add this comment to Adams: “Of course, if the member and the leaders simply cannot ‘agree to disagree,’ then the only way to avoid conflict at that point would be for the member to find another church so that he or she would not be divisive in

that one.”

Sadly, some Christians have tremendous difficulty exhibiting a godly attitude when they disagree with others in the church.

~ Proving they are right is more important to them than unity in

the body, and so they wield their superior “wisdom” and “understanding” like a sledgehammer against their “foes.”

~ Jas 3:13-18

The Importance of Authority in the Church Heb 13:17b.

~ Ezek 3:16-21, where God called the prophet a “watchman to the

house of Israel.” That imagery underscores the grave

responsibility God has entrusted to the leaders of a church, but it also reveals the tremendous necessity of their ministry.

III. HELPING LEADERS TO ENJOY THEIR MINISTRY Read Heb 13:17c.

~ The idea in that command, especially in light of the Greek grammar, is that our relationship to leaders should enable them to truly enjoy their role in the body.

How to Bring Them Joy 1. Believe in Christ.

~ cf. Matt 13:36-42~ He would love to know that

everyone who professes Christ also possesses Christ (cf. Matt 7:21-23).

~ 1Thes 2:19-20 2. Walk in obedience to Christ.

~ 3 John 3-4 ~ 1Thes 3:6-9

3. Cultivate and preserve unity in the body.

~ Phil 2:1-2~ Philem 4-7

4. Pray for them. ~ As Aaron and Hur held up Moses’

hands so that he could effectively minister to the people of

Israel (Ex 17:12), so we can support our leaders by petitioning God on their behalf.

~ 2Cor 1:10-11

~ Sadly, people who usually complain about or criticize their leaders

seldom really pray fervently for them.