Remember Your Leaders

Remember Your Leaders

Hebrews 13:7-9

In the remaining section of the book a lot of attention is placed upon the spiritual leaders of the congregation. Primarily, how the congregation should respond to those leaders.

Remember your leaders (7)

Obey your leaders (17)

Greet your leaders (24)

The next few messages will be about leadership and a congregation’s response to it. I’ll be preaching to me and you. There is much all of us can glean from this.

v. 7 “Remember your leaders”

Who are these leaders? I think they are elders. These are the pastors of the church. I think that because it says, “those who spoke to you the Word of God” The teaching/preaching of the Word of God is a function of the elder/pastor (1 Timothy 3:2).

The body of Christ is made up of many different parts. God gifts some to be leaders (Ephesians 4:11-14). The leaders are to exhibit a greater level of maturity and discernment than others (Titus 1:5-9).

By virtue of their calling and spiritual maturity they have a greater level of authority in the church.

1. Remember that they are your leaders.

Let’s think about the word “your”. How are they “your” leaders.

They are your leaders by God’s sovereign hand. The Lord has them there. Pastors often speak of the interesting circumstances that arose to get them to a particular church.

Remember that true men of God do not call themselves. They serve in the position because God saved them and gifted them with certain spiritual gifts.

They are your leaders by the congregation’s choice. We are Baptist. That means no one sends us a pastor. We choose a pastor. We vote.

When you remember your leaders remember these two things:

Your leader did not call himself. Life would likely be easier for him if he just had a regular job.

Your leader’s job depends on you. How many of you have ever had a job where everyone else could vote to have you fired? Probably none of you.

It is very difficult to lead a church by the Word of God. Leaders in the church often experience great stress.

A sense of unworthiness

A sense of failure

Loneliness

Overwhelmed (many different voices/opinions, tasks)

Bearing the burdens of others (physical, spiritual)

Satan is attacking regularly

Comparison of other churches

Remember that. Pray for your leaders. They are a gift to you by God’s sovereign hand and your personal choice.

2. Remember that your leader’s primary job is to teach you the Word of God.

Jesus said we cannot live by bread alone. We need the Word of God. People need to be taught the Word of God. The best way to do this is to systematically teach through the Bible. Book by book. Chapter by chapter.

It would be much easier to stand up here and simply talk about something each week. I could do that with very little to no preparation at all. I could pick a verse and just talk to you. Many preachers do that.

The truth is some people like that. They like it because they don’t have to learn anything.

They just talk about what they saw on the news.

They talk about what’s going on in the community.

They tell some funny stories.

Why have so many abandoned the clear command to preach the Word?

It takes time to prepare.

It’s not as exciting in some parts (Some parts are hard to understand).

It isn’t what people want to hear (deals with sin).

Often a pastor is forced to leave a church because someone doesn’t like his style. It seldom has anything to do with character and content. The truth is some pastors get fired because people don’t like them. Most complaints against pastor are not complaints of heresy or ungodliness. Most complaints focus on how a group of people feel personally about the man. A couple of things concerning this:

If you stood up three times a week and taught the congregation some folks may not like you.

If we forced people out of the church because we did not like them, we would be pushing people out all the time.

Many preachers only preach once a week. Others preach three or more times a week. If you have a preacher who preaches the Word of God, remember him. Pray for him.

3. Consider the way they live their lives.

Context seems to suggest pastors who endured to the end and passed away. But we need not wait until a person dies to consider their life.

In fact, before a person is ordained their manner of life is to be considered (1 Timothy 3:1-7). A leader’s character is of utmost importance.

The worth of a leader is not measured by his ability to speak.

The worth of a leader is not measured by his ability to influence.

His worth is measured by the content of his teaching (the Word of God) and the character he possesses.

What might we look at?

His marriage.

His children.

Does he pay his bills?

Does he have a good work ethic?

Does he serve the church?

Does he live a holy life?

Does he have a good reputation?

Remember, it is easier to preach the Word than to live it. The Elder must do both.

“imitate their faith” The elder’s life should challenge you. He is not perfect. He will have his own weaknesses and struggles. But he should live in such a way that if you imitated him you would be living a devoted life to Christ.

Look closely at your leaders.

Are there things they do not do that you do?

Are there disciplines in their life you do not have?

Perhaps that is the reason they are living a faithful life.

We should never think “They live that way because they are a preacher.”

There is not one faith for preachers and another for the congregation. There is one faith.

Look at verse 8.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Christ is the ultimate example of how we are to live. He does not change. The standard is always the same. In every generation the conduct of the Christian is to be the same. We are to be like Jesus.

Yesterday- eternality of Christ

Today- Christ is present with us.

Forever- Christ will come to set up His kingdom.

The eternal Christ is present with us and coming again soon. We are to imitate the holiness of Christ. That holiness should be evident in our leaders.

4. Take heed when the elders warn of false doctrine (9).

“Do not be led away” The elder is concerned about the effects of false doctrine. It leads away:

From Christ

From the Bible

From the church

The Bible has enemies in every culture. In the context of Hebrews it was Judaizers. They were trying to convince the recent converts to return to the religion of Judaism.

“not by foods” This refers to the dietary laws and feast of the Jews. The false teachers were teaching these laws and feasts had to be kept to make a person righteous. The heart is not strengthened by these things. It is strengthened by grace.

Notice he says there are “diverse and strange teachings”.

There are many doctrines taught that are foreign to the gospel. We don’t have much trouble with Judaizers. We have our own false doctrines.

God gives a church elders because they have discernment. The church needs people with discernment.

They know the Word well.

They know the strategies of the enemy well.

Do you remember when you were a child your parents would warn you about things? Some of these things you thought were crazy and weird. When you got older you began to see the wisdom of your parents.

The same is true with spiritual immaturity. Those who are more mature in the faith can see things more clearly. Listen to them. They are God’s gift to the church.

Faithful Elders immerse themselves in the Word of God. They don’t warn for no reason. They warn of false doctrines because they know the Word of God well.

You may begin reading or listening to someone who is teaching something new or that contradicts what you have been taught. You should go to your elders. You should allow them to see it. You should seek their counsel.

Elders are a gift to the church to keep the church away from false doctrine. When they warn you take it seriously.

The bottom line is:

Be thankful to the Lord for faithful elders who teach you the Word, live a Christlike life and warn you of false doctrines.