Leaders to Need to Lead
Perseverance • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
One of favorite writers is John Maxwell. Dr. Maxwell was a pastor for many years and now is known throughout the world as an expert on leadership. He says that:
Leadership is nothing more than influence.
-John Maxwell
If that is the case, then every one of us has to capacity to lead because in some way, we have to capacity to influence others. God has placed you in a circle of influence of some type and I invite you to look at that further. Paul recognized that in the Thessalonian Church, there were folks just like you and me that were part of a fellowship and studied God’s word together. We are so fortunate to be in a place where we can have the opportunity to influence each other. The Thessalonians were reminded of the opportunities in front of them for influence utilizing their leadership abilities. Paul spells it out for them in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-16. This great passage is very timely for us today as we shifting to be more fully open as we are transitioning out of the pandemic. We will never be what we were before, but we have the opportunity to rise up beyond what has been and strive towards what God has in store for us. We need leaders to rise up. So in essence, this message is to challenge the inner leader in all of us. We have already defined leader as a person of influence and we have established that each person is capable of influence. Therefore, when we come to a passage of scripture such as this, we dare not turn off our minds and say this is for someone else! AU CONTRAIRE! This is a message for each of us! Listen closely to the Word of God:
12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
Paul uses two verses for pastors and two verses for members. I hope that you will learn from the verses about pastors and I hope you will learn from the verses listed for members. I certainly have learned from both!
Leaders, people of influence, need to lead now more than ever. Our world is in chaos and godly leadership is at, in my opinion, at an all time low. We will see in these verses there are four distinct ways leaders need to lead. First, leaders need to lead respectfully.
Leaders Need to Lead Respectfully (vs. 12)
Leaders Need to Lead Respectfully (vs. 12)
The word respect as it is used in the context of this passage means to hold in the highest possible esteem. This takes place through perception and understanding. Who is that we are to respect? Again, in the context of this passage, we are “to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you and who admonish you.” “Those” refer to the ones in more of a pastoral role in the Thessalonica church. We learn from Dr. Luke that specifically, these folks are Aristarchus and Secundus. They are mentioned in Acts 20:4.
4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
These men were in a pastoral role for the church of Thessalonica. Now I have had the privilege of serving you as pastor now for over 5 years. We have had challenges and quite possibly you have disagreed with me in some form or fashion and I have possibly disagreed with you, but I have never felt disrespected in any form or fashion. Thank you for the honor of serving you and thank you for the respect you give me and the position in which I hold. I love what Theologian John Stott wrote about this idea of respect:
“They are neither to despise them, as if they were dispensable, nor flatter or fawn them as if they were popes or princes, but rather respect them, hold them in highest regard and love them because of their work.”
-John Stott
What an honor is it for me to serve alongside with you. You definitely challenge me to be better and better in all I do.
Spiritual leadership is difficult and weighted with a tremendous amount of responsibility. It is honestly hard work in carrying out the tasks at hand. No wonder in this verse it makes mention of those that work hard. The word used to translate hard means labor with wearisome effort. It is the same word that describes what a person does in a manual job. One writer described the Christian leader’s hard work as “the toil, striving with all the energy which Christ mightily inspires us with and which is used to carry our His work.”
We see a hint of this in Paul’s letter to young Timothy.
5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
By the nature of the calling, it is indeed hard work. However, it is also a work in humility.
The phrase, “over you in the Lord,” describe an appointment. The word “over” means to be set or placed before, to superintend, or to preside.
Leaders lead respectfully by being a work of humility means that they are not recognized as authoritarian or seeking power, but that are indeed practicing humility. Of course the greatest example of this was found in Jesus and taught by Him as well.
42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
I think a key part of this idea of humility is also the fact that it is in the Lord. The act of humility is a given when it is in the Lord because of His example as we have mentioned.
The leader that leads respectfully will also have a work that is helpful. The word admonish comes from the word noutheto. We will see this word again in a few minutes but it means to warn or exhort. It is work that is done in a helpful way. One writer says that while it is brotherly, it is big-brotherly. I am a big-brother and I remember growing up that I would do anything for my little sister and my brother. I never really had to admonish my little sister but occasionally I have had to admonish my brother. I have had to learn to do it in a way that was indeed respectful and helpful. It would have been easy several times to do so with authority and self-righteousness, but it would have done more damage than good. I think Paul here is reminding his readers the necessity to admonish through love and not through control. Paul recognized the difference in warning through love and not exercising control as a form of authority.
14 I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children.
There is love in leading respectfully.
Leaders Need to Lead in Reconciliation (vs. 13)
Leaders Need to Lead in Reconciliation (vs. 13)
The next thing we see in this passage is for leaders to lead in reconciliation. Leaders within the church are given a position of prominence. They are to be held in the highest regard in love. The words hold and highest indicate that they are to have rule over in an exceedingly way, but it is to be done in love. Love here once again is agape, the unconditional love that Jesus gives us in that no matter what we have done, He still loves us. The leader that leads in reconciliation does in prominence but does as Jesus commanded in John 13:34
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
Because love prevails, the leader has a position of patience. Remember from 1 Corinthians 13:4
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
A leader that represents God’s work should always lead in reconciliation in a position of peace. Again, the example is found in Jesus.
17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
Up to this point in our discussion we are talking about those in ministerial roles but we can all learn something in leading respectfully and in reconciliation. Our text takes a shift to what most scholars believe to those that are not in ministerial leadership. The use of the language indicates that even though it is similar, it is different enough that another group is being instructed. Nevertheless, we all can still learn and all should take it to heart.
Leaders Need to Lead with Representation (vs. 14)
Leaders Need to Lead with Representation (vs. 14)
14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
We need to lead with representation in three ways. First, we need to lead in a way that instructs. The word “warn” is that same word we saw earlier in admonish. It is once again noutheto which means warn, exhort or admonish as used in verse 12. It can also mean to teach. Who are we to teach? We are to teach those that are idle. Those are the folks that have deviated from their faith and are disorderly, irregular and inordinate. Are you leading through loving instruction? Listen, if we know that a path can be harmful, we will do all we can do to show a better way. But, we do so by practicing what we preach, right?
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.
We are also to encourage the timid or faint-hearted. We should be intrigued with scripture and the love of Jesus that we are constantly studying His word and gaining understanding to share with others. That is the ultimate encouragement! I hope that you are spending regular time in personal study of God’s word so that you can overflow with encouragement and the ability to help the weak. By the way, that phrase means cleave to in such a way that it shows support and a building up of the person that you are helping. It is the picture of putting your arm around them and saying, “you’ve got this!” I remember vividly as a very young youth minister struggling with the assurance of my abilities and one of my mentors, Rick Traylor walking up to me, putting his arm around me and reminding me that I was able and capable of carrying out that which I was called to do! Rick was intrigued with leading through the teachings of God’s word and he demonstrated God’s word in helping me.
2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
Then we see the words be patient. We are to be of a long spirit and not lose heart. Patience produces gratitude and gratitude produces joy.
We have been intrusted with the concept of leading with representation. We represent Christ who has been very patient with us and will not give up on us! We should be so engaged with leading by influence that we have intention and apply God’s word on a daily basis. We have been entrusted with so much! It is the same concept that Jesus talked about in Luke 16 in the parable of the shrewd manager who was called in to give an account of his management.
Jesus said in Luke 16:10-11
10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
We have been intrusted with much and we should engage as leaders with intention to apply that which we have been given. We must lead with representation.
Leaders Lead Responsibly (vs. 15)
Leaders Lead Responsibly (vs. 15)
We must also lead responsibly. We are to be caring. We want to make sure that evil does not prevail and we strive to defeat it with kindness. It is for our own good to be kind!
17 A kind man benefits himself,
but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.
We must also lead responsibly by cultivating into the seeds of others. We should work hard as leaders to make sure that we are helping others grow in their faith in Christ and we should do nothing that would be harmful to stunt their growth.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
We are do to do this to other believers and to do so with those that are not believers as well.
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
That is the example of Jesus. We are to be kind to each other and everyone else. How are you doing with that? If you call yourself a Christian, you are a leader. Leader, it is time to lead! Go. Lead with the strength of Jesus. You will be glad you did and our church will be better because of it!