A Christian’s Relationship With Leadership

INTRODUCTION

We live at a time when people question everything, resist authority, and equate submission with weakness.

Respect is seen as optional.

Esteem is earned only when personalities impress us.

Authority is tolerated—at best.

And yet, when we come to the Scriptures, we find that God speaks clearly and unapologetically about spiritual leadership and the believer’s response to it.

This is not about personality preference.

This is not about celebrity pastors.

This is not about blind allegiance.

This is about God’s design for His Church.

This morning, on the heels of Paul’s instruction to the Thessalonians about their conduct as they wait for Jesus to return, we are going to look at A Christian’s Relationship With Leadership in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13.

Because when a church understands this rightly, it flourishes. And when it ignores it, it fractures.

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

RESPECT AND ESTEEM THEM

The word translated respect is the Greek word οἶδα, which is more commonly translated as “to have realized; to know.”

It is a knowledge gained through experience

In this passage, it is “to know/acknowledge” an individual in their position over you.

When you acknowledge your spiritual leadership, you are in a sense showing respect towards them by submissively placing yourself under their authority.

Submission to authority is a very important aspect of the Christian’s life, and it must never be trivialized.

Hebrews 13:17 ESV

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

NOTE: Submission does not equal blind obedience

Our first level of obedience is to the Lord and His Word

In the event that any authority figure makes a request that causes us to be disobedient to the Lord’s command for His people, we must not heed that request and bear the consequences.

Acts 5:29–32 ESV

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Acts 5:40–42 ESV

and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

NOTE: Submission does not equal contentment

You can be discontent with an authority figure, but it is never appropriate to be disrespectful toward them.

If you have a personal issue with an elder, then you need to discuss it with them and/or the Elder board.

If it is a matter of sin with an elder, then you need to follow the Matthew 18 principle for confrontation:

1st - Bring it personally

2nd - Bring it with witnesses

3rd - Bring it to the church

It is a terribly difficult task that an elder has in the church.

A sinner leading sinners.

A sinner having to correct other sinners concerning their sin.

Not fun. Not easy. Yet, vitally important.

Equally as important is the submissive attitude that a church member exhibits towards their leadership.

A sinner putting aside their pride and allowing another sinner to speak into their life

Church Membership

One of the greatest benefits of church membership is that it establishes a specific pastoral relationship between a believer and a shepherd

A Christian commits to submitting to and obeying their leaders in the Lord

Those leaders, in turn, keep watch over their souls and will give an account to God in how they cared for them

Membership gives clarity of care.

While a pastor should care for visitors, they’re not responsible for them in the same way they are for church members.

Membership gives direction for service.

Believers are called to use their gifts and abilities to serve one another and to build up the Body of Christ into maturity

Joining a local church puts a crosshair on the people you will serve in a particular capacity

Not only are believers to respect their spiritual leaders, they ought to esteem them very highly.

The Greek term implies “an extraordinary degree, involving a considerable excess over what would be expected.”

This phrase calls for limitless respect for church leaders

And do so in love, not because of their personalities or the stories they tell or how they make you feel on a Sunday, but because of their work.

Respect is one of those terms that seems to have lost its meaning in 2026, but God’s expectation for His people is clear: have a great respect and high regard for those who are overseeing the care of your souls.

CONSIDER THEIR SERVICE TO YOU

God has called pastors and set them apart for the important work of leading His church.

What are they doing?

Laboring Among You

The word is κοπιάω and means “to engage in hard work, implying difficulties and trouble.”

Thus, “labor” or “toil”

The faithful pastor works hard in ministering to the people as a shepherd cares for their flock. Their work:

Proclaim the gospel

Explain and apply the truth

Warn and admonish the sheep

Counsel from Scripture

The books of 1&2 Timothy and Titus are known as the Pastoral Epistles, and give instruction to those young men on what their duties are to be.

2 Timothy 4:2 LSB

preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and teaching.

2 Timothy 4:5 ESV

But as for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Titus 1:9 LSB

holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to reprove those who contradict.

Paul, himself, was a model of the diligent servant ministry that should characterize every shepherd, and a pastor would fare well to study his life.

Exercising Authority Over You

are over you would be more accurately conveyed: have charge over you.

The term literally means “to stand before” and gives the sense of authoritatively leading or directing.

It does not imply that the elder has an authority in himself, but that his authority is derived from the source of His preaching: the Word of God.

Apart from the Word of God, the pastor has nothing to communicate to the flock

His teaching, his life, should always be derived from what God has revealed in His Word.

He is to be an example to the flock

1 Peter 5:1–3 LSB

Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing not under compulsion, but willingly, according to God; and not for dishonest gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to you, but being examples to the flock.

Admonishing You

Admonish means “to instruct.”

MacArthur Commentary It refers not merely to academic data imparted impersonally but to instruction for the purpose of correcting and changing people. It is teaching with an element of warning, designed to direct the sheep to holy living.

While all ministries in the church have an important place in the advancement of the truth of the Word of God, you are hard pressed to find a more important ministry in the church than the preaching ministry.

It is the preaching of the Word that the Holy Spirit uses to convict the hearer

It is the preaching of the Word that instructs the believer in Christlikeness

It is the preaching of the Word that reveals to lost sinners their need for a Savior

It is the preaching of the Word that reveals to believers the commands of their Savior

CONCLUSION

At the end of the day, this is not ultimately about elders. It is about Christ.

Christ is the Chief Shepherd.

Christ purchased the church with His own blood.

Christ appoints under-shepherds to care for His flock.

And Christ will hold both shepherds and sheep accountable.

Elders will give an account for how they led.

Members will give an account for how they followed.

When a congregation respects and esteems its leaders:

Pride is diminished.

Unity is strengthened.

The Word is honored.

Christ is magnified.

And when leaders labor faithfully:

The flock is protected.

The saints mature.

Sinners are warned.

The gospel advances.

This is God’s design.

Not perfection—because sinners are leading sinners.

Not blind obedience—because Christ alone is Lord.

Not silent discontent—but biblical confrontation when necessary.

May we be a church that esteems highly those who labor among us.

May our elders shepherd willingly and eagerly.

And may Christ, the Chief Shepherd, find us faithful when He appears.