Responsibility of People to Leaders

Transcript

GRM 548
12/07/1997
Responsibility of People to Their Leaders
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
Gil Rugh

I want to take the opportunity to look with you at the subject of leadership as we have looked at it on other occasions. In 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5, it seems a good time with these men assuming the responsibility of the leadership of God’s church there in Crete, that we all be reminded of the position of the leaders that God has appointed and the responsibility of the church toward that leadership. We have been studying a section in the book of Colossians, Chapter 3 together that has a strong emphasis on the responsibility God has ordained for various individuals and groups of individuals, such as wives being submissive to husbands, children being obedient to parents, slaves being obedient to masters. Other portions of scripture bring in the responsibility of Christians being submissive to governmental authorities. God has established order in His creation. The ultimate submission is to Him as God. For those of us who have been redeemed we manifest our submissiveness to Him by a willing submissiveness to the authority that He has established. And that is true in the church. Despite our Democratic leanings in our appreciation of democracy, God has established an order in the church that is not democratic. Rather His plan and instruction for the church is that godly men selected by the Holy Spirit would be recognized and appointed to lead His people. Instruction is given to those men and their responsibilities, their character and so on. There are instructions given to the congregation and the responsibility of God’s people toward the leaders.


In 1 Thessalonians 5, the prime focus is on the responsibility of the congregation to the leaders and so we will be emphasizing that in our consideration together. I think the subject of leadership in the church is of utmost importance. I am impressed with how much of the problem, how many of the problems that take place in the local church are a result of leadership. Either leadership that is not godly and not willing to be biblical, not willing to exercise the discernment that God commands the leaders to exercise, not protecting the flock by opposing false doctrine and corrupt teaching, to failure on the part of leaders. There is also the problem with our democratic thinking of people who follow leadership when they feel like it. There is no place where that is any greater problem than it is in the church because we think, well, we all have the Holy Spirit, we all have the Bible, and I have just as right to my opinion as anyone has, and we fail to appreciate the order that God has established. No matter how many times we go over this it is a reoccurring problem. And I’m not addressing it now because it is particularly a problem at Indian Hills or at Cornerstone. As far as I can discern, it is not today for either of our ministries, so it is a good time to talk about it because nobody thinks I’m addressing or attacking someone individually. But, it has been a problem and we need the reminder and that’s why God gives it to us.

Evidentially, it was a problem in the church at Thessalonica and the way that Paul addresses the subject here in the letter seems to be clear. Most agree there was a problem within the body in their attitude toward the leaders that God had provided for that congregation and so he addresses the subject. Let’s look and see what he says beginning with verse 12 of 1 Thessalonians 5. “But, we request of you brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.” Paul enters into this subject with warmth and concern, “we request of you brethren.” He doesn’t say, now I am commanding you with apostolic authority, but he is speaking under the inspiration and direction of the Spirit. So, what he says here is what God expects and requires of the church. Paul has a love and a concern for them and Paul is pursuing a theme he broke off with in Chapter 4, verse 12 of this letter. There he was dealing with some of the deficiencies in exhorting them about things that needed corrected in the church. There was tension evidently in the body there between the leaders and the body at large. Conflict had developed.

So Paul says, “we request of you, brethren, fellow believers, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you.” And that word “appreciate” is the Greek word “to know.” We request of you that you “know those who diligently labor among you.” There is to be a recognition of the leadership that God has appointed, know who they are, and a proper appreciation of them. Know them with the sense of recognizing them for who they are and appreciating them for that as the leaders God has provided for the body.

Now he is going to describe the role that these men carry out. It is a role entrusted to men, the leadership role, as is consistent in other areas, so it is in the church. These are men, and there are really three participles here. They’re joined together grammatically so they’re describing the leaders. They are those who are laboring among you. That’s the first participle or participial phrase, the participle is labor. They are laboring among you. The second participle is leading you or have charge over you. They are those who have the responsibility of leadership. And thirdly they are giving you instruction. Let’s look and see each of these areas.


Laboring, as men step into the responsibility of leadership, eldership they have taken upon themselves a serious responsibility, a serious burden, in one sense. Not a burden that is mine, it is a burden that the Lord has placed on me that I can carry with the strength the Lord provides. We appreciate the fact some men acknowledge they are not willing or able at this time to take upon themselves the toil and labor associated with being an elder. The word is “kopiao”, meaning toil, hard work, struggle. The word stresses the exertion, the cost, the fatigue, the exhaustion that is involved in the work that is being done. That’s one of the reasons people need to be praying for their leaders and their elders. It is a great responsibility. It is a burden. Paul said in addition to his physical trials he had the burden of the churches that weighed upon him. There is a wrong sense to take that burden, but there is a right sense, and it is hard, grueling work. That doesn’t mean every day is like that, but the general work of the leadership here is identified as those who are laboring diligently, faithfully laboring among you.

Back in Chapter 1, verse 3, Paul had used this word of the characteristic of the Thessalonians in general. So, it’s not only elders who are laboring in the ministry, but the body together is to be laboring and so he spoke in verse 3, “constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and the toil that the church went through.” Paul labored and toiled. In chapter 2 of this letter, verse 9, “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, working day and night so as not to be a burden to any of you we proclaim the gospel of God.” Similar to what the body in general is doing, what most of these men as elders are doing. They are working a job, providing a living so that the church doesn’t have the responsibility of their support. Certain elders such as Doug, myself and other pastors are privileged to be supported by the ministry. Other elders toil and labor at their jobs in addition to the responsibility and burden. That’s important because we are going to move into areas that the elders get involved in and sometimes it’s important for the elders to get involved in your lives. We need to remember that these are men who don’t do this because they’re looking for things to fill in their time. They do it because of a responsibility God’s given them for the body, but it is an added burden and load that they carry as they provide care for God’s people.

Chapter 3, verse 5, “For this reason I can endure it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you and our labor should be in vain.” You know, we sometimes think what was the secret of the apostle Paul’s ministry? Well, he was greatly gifted of God he was very faithful. As he wrote to the Corinthians, he worked harder than everybody else and he did. We need to keep that ingredient in. You say, well, if only I was more gifted than I am and I say, well, I can’t change that, and my God is as sufficient for me as He needs to be. I mean He is God.

He says, Gil, if you would only work hard, if you would only toil more. That’s often the missing ingredient, the willingness to pay the price that is necessary. Incidentally, I can’t leave this without taking you to Revelation, chapter 14. Just a reminder when our toil will be done. I don’t want to discourage these new elders, but, Revelation, chapter 14, verse 13, “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!”. Now we are in the tribulation period but note the principle. Yes, says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their”, there’s our word, “labors”. The rest from the labors come when either physical death or the coming of the Lord delivers us and here he talks in the context of physical death. It is a release from the labors and the deeds, the impact of their service follows on.

All right, back in 1Thessalonians 5. You appreciate, you recognize these men and appreciate them because they are laboring diligently among you. It’s a reminder to the elders that they should not get discouraged because being an elder is hard grueling work.

He gets specific in the middle of verse 12, and they have charge over you in the Lord. Their labors are in the area of leading and admonishing, two areas that the elders will be laboring in. They have charge over you in the Lord. This word, have charge over, is a compound word and it means to stand before, to stand before. So, it means to be at the head of something or someone, to direct, to rule. These are the men that God has placed before the body, to direct the body, to rule the body. It’s used a number of times when Paul writes to Timothy, and you might as well turn over just a few pages there to 1 Timothy, chapter 3, verse 4, we have a translated manage. He must be one who manages, rules his own household well. Verse 5, if a man does not know how to manage or rule his own household, how will he take care of the church of God. You see his responsibility. We saw in our study in Colossians 3 the man is at the head of his home. So, here he is, as an elder, at the head of the church. Verse 12, still in 1 Timothy 3, let deacons be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households, rulers there in the context of deacons responsibility as well. Chapter 5, verse 17, Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor. In Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 17 the congregation is admonished, obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief for this would be unprofitable for you. There is significant loss to the people in a congregation who do not follow the leaders that God has appointed. You say, well, looks like things are going well for them, there will come a day when the accounting is given and it would not be profitable for people to have not been willingly submissive to the leaders. You can see the parallel for the areas we have been talking about in Colossians, godly character manifests itself when we function according to the will of God in different areas, and in the church it is submissiveness to leaders.

Back in 1 Thessalonians 5, they are over you, they have charge over you, they rule over you in the Lord. This is the scope or sphere of their leadership. It’s in the realm of spiritual things in the functioning of the church. It doesn’t mean the elders, and some have carried the leadership in a cult type of groups where they want to tell you, you know, who you can marry, where you should live, what job you should have, what car you should drive, that’s not the elders role. Their role is in the spiritual ministry. They are over you in the Lord. You note here that also reminds us, their appointment is not a human appointment. That’s why I said when I introduced these men and we prayed for them that we are recognizing those that the Holy Spirit has appointed to the ministry and so they are over you in the Lord, and this is an order that God has established and a recognition that these are men that God has appointed. So, they are diligently laboring and one of the areas of labor is the leading and oversight of God’s people.

Another area is they give you instruction. The word here is a broad word. We’re familiar with it, it’s related to the word nouthetic, its admonition, instruction, correction, so it has breadth to it. Literally, the word means to put things into the mind. It often has the context and idea of correcting something, and that seems to be the emphasis he has here and may relate to some of the problem. Now often difficulty comes when the elders want and are in a position of having to exercise their responsibility to bring correction, to admonish someone, to instruct them in the context of correcting behavior or doctrine. Then all of a sudden, who are they to tell me. As we said, then the test of leadership always comes when we disagree. I am not saying well, the elders are denying the virgin birth, we will not be part of this. I cannot tell you, and I mention it, but I mention it again because somehow we forget the passage when we get into this, how many people have left in the battles we’ve had that have come and sat down with me and say, I just want you to know I have no doctrinal disagreements with you or this church. Then I say you have no grounds or foundation to leave. Didn’t keep them, but at least I had my say. But my responsibility is to point out what the word of God says. It’s the responsibility of the elders to admonish, to correct, this is biblical, this is required, this is what we as a body must do. If the sheep don’t follow the shepherds God has appointed, it is disastrous for the sheep. It is disastrous for the testimony of the church. God has appointed shepherds for His people for a reason. He gives them the responsibility to admonish, to correct, to instruct and keep that in mind.

There are a number of passages we don’t have the time to take and look at, but the “admonishing the unruly” down in verse l4 is one close at hand. “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the faint hearted.” That would be a responsibility the elders have but not just the elders. It’s a responsibility we as a church have to one another, out of love, like we admonish our children in correcting and instructing them to keep them on the right path. The elders lead the way in that, they are to be appointed because they are godly men, not perfect men, but godly men. That’s why I say I’m always amazed that people who appreciate the elders they may raise no questions about their character, they bring no complaints about their character, until a conflict arises and they don’t want to follow them. Then they find all kind of reasons why all of sudden these men that they were perfectly comfortable with, that they recognize as godly men, now all of a sudden lost their godly character and couldn’t be followed. That’s a serious matter, that creates tension, creates conflict. Paul is admonishing the Thessalonians; this ought not be here. They are there, their ministry is admonishing you, correcting. So, accept it as such and thank the Lord for such men.

Okay, this is their role. You recognize these elders and they will be carrying on the ministry of toil and labor and that will involve leading you and admonishing you and your responsibility is that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. They are to be held in high honor. I say this, it’s always easier for me to preach this sermon when I’m talking about the elders of another church, since I am part of the elder leadership at Indian Hills. But the responsibility of the church at Crete will be to hold these elders in highest honor and value.

Interesting the words that are placed here. You “esteem them very highly.” Let me read you what a Greek concordance or lexicon says about the compound word translated very highly. Beyond all measure, most highly. One commentator in the Greek text says “a very strong double superlative adverb, meaning abundantly out of all bounds, beyond all measure, it calls for a degree quite beyond all imagination.” You say, let’s not get carried away. But that’s what God says under the inspiration of the Spirit, that you esteem them all out of proportion, you hold them in honor, all out of bounce, beyond all measure. That’s not often the characteristic in churches of attitude toward leadership. We have developed a pattern that goes toward leadership in any area whether it’s government authorities or other areas, of grumbling and complaining and fault finding. It’s not a mark of godliness, it’s a mark of ungodliness. We have to be careful it doesn’t become a pattern of our life and so the elders are to be held in very high esteem, not because they’re perfect, but to recognize God has called them to this position and having appointed them to this responsibility to lead God’s people. There is no more important task. I hold them in highest value. They are worthy of my greatest honor. I don’t, well, I’ll see how they do. Well, they may do all right, they may probably borderline, I think we could have done better. On and on in our snipping and sometimes we don’t say it but we’re thinking it.

We realize, Lord, give me the attitude that, in love, note that, esteem them very highly in love because of their work. I recognize, Lord, you have appointed them to this position. What a responsibility you have bestowed on them, a responsibility worthy of the highest honor and I give them that in my thinking. I love them. It’s love that causes you to value them in that. Isn’t that true, we talk about people in love. You see this sometimes. I’m trying to think of an example that won’t get me in trouble or say more or less. Well, just people in love, let’s leave it at that. Especially fresh love, it can be so uncritical. You say, they’re blind, they think that’s the most beautiful person in the world. They don’t think they have any faults. You know, sometimes you want to shake them, what, get real. They don’t want to get real, they’re in love and that’s the way love ought to be. Love covers a multitude of sins; it doesn’t see the flaws.

Now, I come to esteem the leaders God has given, in love. “Love covers a multitude of sins”, I don’t see their faults. That doesn’t mean if an elder in character or in doctrine becomes unqualified he doesn’t have to be dealt with. He does. The scripture specifies that elders who sin are to be rebuked before all or he gives instruction on that. But in the general flow we don’t see the faults. We’re in love with them. Because of love we have such an appreciation for them that we esteem them with highest honor because of their work. We get diverted. We let personalities become an issue, quirks, things we like or don’t like. You know the reason you value them is because of their work, the responsibility and work that God has placed upon them. That’s why they are highly valued and given this honor by God’s people, because of their work. One writer put it this way, “they’re attitude toward their leaders is not to be governed by personal partiality or prejudice, but rather by an objective evaluation of the intrinsic worth of what they are doing.” We hold them in esteem and honor of the highest kind because of the work they are doing. We tend to focus on personalities and those kinds of things. That’s not the issue. The issue is the work that they are doing.

So, he says, “live in peace with one another” and that’s given as a command at the end of verse l3, present imperative, an ongoing responsibility. When I take it in the context it would indicate that the congregation is key in the peace here by their recognizing the value of their leaders and their willing obedience to them because they hold them in such honor.

That will do wonders for the peace and harmony of the church of Crete. The congregation there will have this attitude towards its leaders, as it does in the ministry of the church in Lincoln at Indian Hills. We are to live in peace with one another. We are required to. That is a biblical commandment and the love that we have talked about, the peace we’re talking about is produced by the Spirit working and controlling our lives.

Leon Morris, commentator that some of you have benefited from, wrote, “It is a matter of fact that we are often slow to realize to this day that effective leadership in the church of Christ demands effective following. If we are continually critical of them that are set over us, small wonder if they are unable to perform the miracles that we demand of them.”

I believe the strength of the ministry at Indian Hills, and I looked back and first covered this passage with you in this way in l985, I said then one of the strengths of this ministry has been the willingness of the people of this congregation to follow the leadership that God has appointed. In the days that followed that, the days I mean the years that followed that, there were conflicts and difficulties. The body suffered greatly and one of the major problems was the unwillingness of many in the body to follow the leadership under pressure that God had appointed. God is gracious and He works His purposes for His end, but it’s a disastrous thing for a church. We need to fix these truths in our minds, it needs to be fixed for the church at Crete. Turmoil and division that it suffered a number of years ago before Doug took up the pastorate would have been avoided if the people there had followed the leadership of the elders of this church who had the responsibility of the oversight of that body. The leadership here was united and that church had agreed to live under the authority of our elders until they had their own elders, which did not occur until today, but a significant portion of that body chose not to under pressure. I stress this because I have been in the ministry long enough to know that there are future battles. There will be difficulties for the church in Crete, the Cornerstone Church, the church in Lincoln, Indian Hills Church, and we must fix in our mind the principle.

I appreciated a man in another state ask one of the professors at the seminary he was attending when we were going through a battle here a few years ago, “how do I know what to do? I’m not there.” The professor’s admonition was clear. It’s simple, you follow the elders. I impress that for Cornerstone Church. I impress that as a reminder for Indian Hills Community Church.

Now again, there’s some more to be said on the responsibility of the leaders, but as these men are taking up the leadership, I think it’s fitting, in light of I Corinthians 5 that we emphasize the responsibility of the congregation and for the most part I have to say, as a testimony it has been my privilege and joy to be joined with the elders of this church in leading a people who have faithfully supported our leadership, who have been faithful in the conflicts and that’s why this church exists today, it wasn’t torn into many small pieces, because the bulk of God’s people have been faithful to God’s word and that’s my desire for the days ahead, that our testimony will be strong and that Cornerstone Church will have a strong and growing testimony. An important part of that will be the leadership that God has provided and the willingness of God’s people to follow His leaders.

Does it make any sense that in our military we have leadership, we have chains of command and everybody willingly acknowledges it, agrees with it, then you go to war and nobody follows it? We need to keep that in mind. God has appointed leadership. That leadership goes on all the time. But when the pressure is brought to bear and the intensity of the battle is cranked up, it becomes all the more important that God’s people follow God’s leaders, that the sheep follow the shepherds. That’s important all the time but it’s all the more important when the wolves are circling and moving in. So it is, as conflicts may arise, don’t allow personality issues to become a factor. Allow the word of God to rule. Allow the leadership that God has appointed to exercise its oversight. Let’s pray together.

Thank you, Lord, for your plan for your church. Again, we acknowledge, Lord, that it is clear and it is simple, even though it’s not always easy. Again, we thank you for the leadership that you have provided for Cornerstone Church. I thank you for the leadership you have provided for Indian Hills Community Church. Lord, I thank you for the faithfulness of your people who have supported the leadership of Cornerstone Church, of Indian Hills Community Church over the years and, Lord, we desire to manifest godliness in our willing obedience to you and our willing obedience to the authority that you have established for our lives, in the church, that authority being the elders that you have appointed. Lord may our testimony be strong until Christ comes, because we are a people obedient to the truth. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.