Do Church – How are we committed to Honor our Leaders

Spent some time introducing himself to GCC people.

1. So, today we’re going to look at, as part of the series “Being the Church” – “How we are committed to honor our Leaders”. Let’s turn to Hebrews 13:17. In this passage, the author says 2 things about us, to the members or attendees of a church, and 2 things about the Leaders we submit to. In the first place, we need to have confidence in and trust our Leaders, and secondly, we need to submit to their authority. So, we need to trust and we need to submit, and then the author of Hebrews gives us 2 things as to why we need to do that – because they keep watch over us. They don’t just tell us what to do, but they care for us, they look out for us, and they also give account to God. In front of God, they are responsible for us. And, therefore, the author says, we need to trust and submit to them, so that their work will be joyful.
2. I’ve spent some time being a pastor before, and not all of it was a joyful time. It may be the most difficult job on earth to take care of God’s children. But there is joy. And, lastly, he also says, that if we do our job, and our leaders have joy in their work, that will be to our benefit as well. So, it is for our growth, it is for our wellbeing, it is part of our discipleship, it is part of our obedience to trust our leaders and to submit to their authority.
3. Now, I was looking for a passage to expand upon this, and although, there are many passages that talk about how leaders should act, there are few passages which talk about how we should submit to our leadership, but not a big expansion on that. But what we do have, in one of Paul’s letters, where he asked the Church in Rome to subject to all government authorities. When we actually look at this passage, and the principles that we get from this passage, and apply them to the church context, we understand a little more, about what it means to trust and submit to our leaders, and how to honor them.
4. Turn to Romans 13:1-7. We.re going to look at about 15 principles in this text, before we can go on to apply them to our lives. In v1 Paul is saying two main things. Firstly, he says that everyone is subjected to authority. Many of us come from democratic countries or societies, and we believe that we, the people, determine who governs. And even though that is true in a sense, from a Biblical perspective, we need to recognize that God established those authorities. And that is the second point, that all authorities are established by God. Everyone who is in a place of authority, only has that authority, because it was given to them by God. That holds true within the Church as well. We’re not just a group of people that meet together, we’re not just members of a Body, we’re a Body under the Headship of Christ, and Christ established leaders for that Body.
5. So, we cannot just attend a church, or be a member of a church, without acknowledging the people that God has placed as leaders in that church. We need to be subject ourselves to those authorities. We go to v2 and we see that people rebel against authority. And let me tell you that, that happens in the Church as well. There are always people that think they know better, or have a special revelation, or believe that they are called and the leaders aren’t. So, the 2 principles we get from this verse, are that those who rebel against authority, rebel against God, and that those who rebel, bring judgement upon themselves. Therefore, if we want to rebel against the leadership of the Church, we need to be very careful before we do that. We need to know that the leaders are not doing God’s work, or they are seriously sinning against God. We need to address it with them first, before deciding to rebel against them. Therefore, Paul gives us a warning here, if we don’t agree with leadership, don’t just rebel against them – make sure that you are in the right. Make sure you follow the right procedures to take it up with the leadership, before you just want to throw the leaders out the door or rebel against them.
6. In the next few verses, we read about what is right and what is wrong with regard to leadership. Paul says in v3 that “rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.” It is not in the role of the authorities to be fearful to people, especially to those who are doing right. But those who are doing wrong, they should fear. So, those are the fifth and sixth principles – that for those who do right, there is no fear, but for those who do wrong, should fear. Then Paul says that for those who do right, they will be commended. That they will be lifted up and be honored. So, for us the people of the Church, we should always ask ourselves, which is the right way to treat our leaders, respect our leaders in the Church, honor our leaders in the Church. Not because we fear them, because we want to follow God’s rules and His law.
7. V4 continues, and says that those in authority, are God’s servants – they serve God in the first place. Yes, they are called to do things, but because God established that authority, they are in the first place God’s servants. Many of the secular rulers, they don’t even know that, they think they are there for their own honor. Or that they have their own power or they are there to serve their own people. All authorities need to recognize, that they are God’s servants, and so much more for our leaders in the Church. It is not just a plain job, it’s not just a calling, it is not just for the people’s sake, but it is in the first place, to serve God.
8. But then Paul says, they are God’s servants for our good. When they serve God, it is for our benefit. They don’t serve to serve themselves; they serve God for our benefit. In the previous verse, we saw that we do not have to fear if we do right, while in v4, Paul looks at what happens when we do wrong. If he says we don’t have to fear if we do right, now apostle Paul says, be afraid if you do wrong.
9. And this takes us to the next principle: for authorities are God’s servants, and they are agents of judgement, punishing the wrongdoers. Now I think in the Church it is a little different, we don’t have judgements, we don’t have court cases; sometimes it goes to that level, and one of the principles of being Church, is to understand discipline. When we submit to our leaders, we also submit to their discipline. When we do wrong, when we sin and continue to sin, then we need to allow our leaders, to discipline us, not to punish us, but in order for us to change our belief system, to change our mind-sets, and to change our actions. And here, we do not have to fear our leadership, because they don’t want to bring judgement on us; they want us to be disciplined, to be corrected, to be edified, because, if one part of the Body is suffering, the whole Body is suffering. If one part of the Body is sinning, it affects the whole Body. And so, when one part of the Body hurts, the rest of the Body wants that part of the Body to be healed, in order for the whole Body to work again.
10. Therefore, it’s important for us, to understand that discipline is not judgement, it’s not punishment. It’s correction, for the benefit of the whole Body. If that part that’s hurting, is healed, the whole Body rejoices. In v1, Paul said “Let everyone be subjected to the government authorities”, and now in v5, he says, “Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities”. The two words used here, are very similar, but in my understanding, the first – “to be subject to the authorities”, is something outside of our control. Paul is saying, that we are brought under the authority – it is not something that we decide, it is something that happens to us, because that’s part of God’s plan for humankind, to be subjected to the authorities placed above us. And that’s the same for the Church as well – it’s part of God’s plan, for each person, for each member, for each attendee, to be brought under the authority of the leadership.
11. But in v5, he uses a different word. He says, “Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities”. It’s necessary for us to obey the authorities, and in a sense it’s a decision that we have to take. We can be subjected to authorities, and acknowledge that there are authorities above us, but we can decide not to obey them. Or we can acknowledge that there are authorities above us, and take the decision to submit to those authorities. That is true for both the members and attendees of this Church. When we become members of a Church, we take the decision to be part of the Body, that we agree with the vision that God has given the Church, and that we submit to the authorities.
12. But sometimes when we are just attending a church, we believe that we don’t have to submit to the authorities, but if you go as a foreigner and live in a different country, you know how dangerous it is, not to submit to the laws of that different country. I grew up in South Africa, I became an Australian, and if I thought I could be a full Australian in Greece, I would have created a lot of traffic accidents, because we drive on the other side of the road. If I want to live in Greece, I need to submit to those authorities, even though I’m not a Greek, I need to submit to that. And as an attendee in this church, I need to submit to the same authorities of this church.
13. So, now we go to 13^th point that Paul makes, v5, “submit to the authorities, not only to avoid punishment, but only as a matter of conscience”. When we only obey rules, because we don’t want to be punished, our whole life becomes a legalistic one. I think that is what Jesus and all the apostles fought against. That the law that was given by God to Moses and to the people, was to explain the relationship that God wanted to have with the people, and was not intended to be a rulebook for every part of your life. But unfortunately, that’s how the Jews interpreted it. That they could only have a relationship with God, if they followed the law by the letter. So, to be a part of the church, and submit to the authorities, is not only for us to avoid discipline, but for us to have a joyful life, a life of fellowship, and of abundance.
14. Then we go to v6, where Paul is saying, that we pay taxes because the people in the government who are in charge, are God’s servants that are governing full-time, they don’t have the time to do another job to earn money and that’s why taxes are there, to pay the rulers and to pay the servants who work for them. And in a sense, that’s why we bring our gifts and offerings to the church as well, to make sure that those who are working in a fulltime or parttime capacity, do not have to worry about how they will live. It’s only us, missionaries that worry about that. But we are so grateful that God provides for us. But in the Church, we should not see our gifts and offerings as a tax payment. We don’t need to make it a legalistic thing again, we do it out of our appreciation and gratefulness for what God has done for us and we know that God will use that for the growth of His Kingdom.
15. In v7, we come to the last principle, where Paul is saying, give to the authorities what is owed to them, and it’s interesting that he uses 4 different words here – taxes, revenue, respect and honor. Taxes actually refers to a tribute paid to a foreign government, where revenue is more a regular tax paid to authorities. These 2 actually belong to the 1^st part of the passage. We have to bring tribute, we have to pay tax, because we are subjected to the authorities above us. But respect or fear, and the honor, is something that comes from within. As we decide to submit to the authorities, we also need to decide to revere our authorities. So, to submit to our church authorities, and to honor them, in a sense is not a commandment, it’s an invitation to recognize the people that God has placed above us as our leaders and the decision to respect them, for all they are.
16. So, looking at these 15 principles, how can we show honor and respect to our leaders, whether we are just attending or whether we are members of this church. I think the 1^st point is to acknowledge their authority, that they are placed as God’s servants by Him. If we don’t acknowledge them as our leaders, then we cannot respect them and we cannot honor them. The 2^nd is to submit to their authority. Not just to say, yes you are our leaders, but to say, yes, I want you to be my leader. And as I submit my life to Christ, I should also submit my life to my leaders, which is not an easy thing. It can be a very, very dangerous thing as well. But if we believe that our leaders are God’s servants, serving Him for our benefit, then we should also allow them to be a part of the decisions we make about our lives. Something to consider.
17. We are also called to pray for them. Paul writes to Timothy, that Timothy and all the people, should pray, intercede and thank the people including the kings and everyone in high positions. If we are called to pray for our secular authorities, how much more for our church leadership. Pray for wisdom, for strength, insight and knowledge, so that they can have more compassion and love and boldness, because they’re not just serving, but they’re keeping watch over us, and they have to give account to God for us. But we should also hold them accountable to God as servants of God and their calling. We shouldn’t just be blind followers of our leaders and I don’t think our leaders would like that. We should be like the Bereans, when Paul visited the synagogue there, they went back to the Word to see that what he preached was true. Many came to faith, because they searched the Word of God. Therefore, we need to hold our leaders accountable for what they teach, for how they lead, for the words that they say and for the deeds that they do.
18. As they are accountable for us before God, we also need to keep them accountable to God. We should also support them in their leadership and their ministry. Sometimes we look at the leadership as “professional Christians, that we pay to do all the work – that’s their job”. We can sit back and worship, we can sleep while they preach and we can criticize them. But that’s not their job. Their job is to make the whole Body work together for the glory of God, for the building up of each part of the Body and as blessing to the nations. Therefore, we should support them with our ministry gifts, through our gifts and offerings, through our time and our experience.
19. I think lastly, we should see them as leading the Body of Christ, therefore anything that might affect you, as part of the Body, should be brought to the leadership, to pray with you, to struggle with you, and to listen together to what the Lord wants. Also, anything that affects them, will affect us. We are the Body of Christ. God has given functions to this Body of Christ. He has placed the leaders in authority above us, as His servants, for our benefit. Then He calls us to respect them, to honor them, to lift them up, so that their job will be one of joy and all of us will celebrate in this.
20. Let us pray together.