Love for Your Leaders

As you read the gospels, you see that there is a distinction between those physical ailments caused by sickness and those caused by demon possession. We may not be able to tell the difference in some cases today, but Jesus always knew the difference,

There is an occasion recorded in Matthew and Luke where a man who is blind and mute is brought to Jesus. This man’s condition was caused by a demon. Jesus cast out the demon, and the man was then able to see and to speak.

The crowds were amazed at what He had done. They speculated whether He was the promised Son of David, and His fame continued to grow.

The Pharisees, however, has a different response. Rather than acknowledge Jesus’ divine power, they said to the people, “The only reason this man casts out demons is because he himself is possessed by Satan, the ruler of the demons.” Rather than attribute Jesus’ power to God, they attribute it to Satan.

 How did Jesus respond to this accusation? His initial response was a very simple argument. It might sound familiar to you. He said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.”

The principle is simple. In order for an institution to remain strong, there has to be unity. Jesus applied that principle to the healing, saying that it would make no sense for Satan to possess a man, and then to send another man later to deliver the same man. Even Satan understands that opposing or competing agendas are going to work against his plans.

Well, Satan knows that what is beneficial for his own kingdom is also going to be beneficial for the kingdom of God. Unity is critical. And that is part of the reason Satan directs so much of his attention on the unity of the church. And that’s why so many epistles in the New Testament bring up the issue. The loss of unity is a great danger to the church.

As far as we can tell, strife and disunity didn’t appear to be a big problem for the Thessalonian church, but Paul, as a faithful minister of Christ, was going to address it, nonetheless. He urges the church to grow in love, and to continue encouraging and edifying one another.

To that end, in verses 12 and 13 of chapter 5, Paul addresses very briefly, the relationship between the members of the church and their leaders.

Last week, we talked about the assumptions Paul makes concerning the leaders. The leaders work hard. They are accessible. They exercise biblical authority, and they give gentle, loving correction when needed. Those were Paul’s assumptions, but his main exhortation is aimed at the members.

What kind of relationship should a church member have with his leaders? If you studied that question by itself, one of the answers you would get is submission. The church is expected to submit to its leaders which, at the highest level, would be the pastors or the elders.

There are a couple passages that state that explicitly. Hebrews 13:17 says “Obey your leaders and submit to them.” First Peter 5:5 says: “You who are younger, be subject to the elders.”

Submission is not a foreign idea to Scripture. It’s critical to a healthy church. Submission means to yield to someone else, to recognize their authority over you. It doesn’t mean your life, or your contribution, matters less, but it means that in terms of function, you place yourself under their authority. You listen to them. You obey them.

Soldiers are supposed to submit to their commanders. Children submit to their parents. Wives submit to their husbands. Citizens submit to the governing authorities. Even our Lord Jesus came, and He humbled Himself by submitting to the Father.

So, again, submission doesn’t mean your life is less significant or valuable. It means that for the glory of God, you accept the structure He has put in place, and you abide by it.

The verses we are looking at today, however, don’t use the word “submit.” The idea is implied, but Paul’s emphasis is not strictly on behavior or obedience.

Parents, you know that your kids can do what you ask them and yet still do it in a disrespectful way, right? And the same is true for employees. You can obey your boss without honoring him.

A good relationship between a group and its leaders is not just going to be marked by actions. It will also be expressed through an attitude. And that’s Paul’s focus here. He gives the church two exhortations which are very closely related. He’s saying the same basic thing in two different ways.

The first exhortation comes in verse 12, which says to respect the leaders. Other translations say “appreciate” or “give recognition to” or “acknowledge.” The translations vary because the Greek word Paul uses simply means to know or to perceive something.

Paul’s second exhortation comes in verses 13, where he tells the church to esteem them very highly in love. In the first exhortation, Paul only used one Greek word, but here, he uses three.

The word translated “esteem” means to regard or to consider. It means that, in your mind, you give weight to something; you honor it.

And then Paul tells us the degree of that honor with the phrase “very highly.” It’s a word that means “beyond measure,” “more than what is expected.” He’s calling the church to think very highly of its leaders.

The third word Paul uses in verse 13 reminds us that the honor he has in mind is not meant to be detached from the leaders personally. In other words, we don’t just honor leaders the way we honor the mayor or the governor or the president. Paul says we should do so “in love.”

That preposition makes a difference. I make French toast with eggs. But I mix the batter in a bowl. Eggs are an ingredient, but the bowl is the vessel in which it all takes place.

Paul doesn’t say respect your leaders “with love,” as if it were simply an ingredient in our hearts; he says we are to do it “in love.” Love is to be the atmosphere that dominates your attitude toward the leaders of your church. Respect them, appreciate them, honor them, and do it all in love. Love your leaders.

I hope you see the picture Paul is trying to paint. He’s not just saying, “Submit to your elders. Do what they tell you.” He’s saying. “Love them. Have a relationship marked by care and appreciation.” That’s what marks a healthy church.

Mother’s Day just passed, and Father’s Day is coming soon, and we all know that a mother or a father can be honored in a way that is flippant or obligatory, or they can be honored in a meaningful way. The same is true for how we honor leaders in the church. Our love and appreciation for them should be significant and meaningful.

So, how do you do that? I’ve done all the explaining that needs to be done for these verses. It’s a simple concept. But for the time that remains, I want to point you toward some application. How can you, as an individual member of the church, or how can you corporately, honor and appreciate our church’s leadership?

Let me give you six ways. These aren’t all going to come out of our text, so it’ll be more like a topical message this morning rather than an expository one, but I hope they help prod your thinking.

Number 1: Know who they are. Know who they are. This is a very basic concept. You can’t honor or respect your leaders if you don’t know who they are.

If you are a member of First Bilingual Baptist Church, you should know who the elders are. Our church has 7 elders right now, and that number changes once in a while as guys rotate off or step into that role. Who are the elders right now?

For most of you, none of these names will come as a surprise. I’ll just list them for you in the same order they are listed on our website, which is alphabetically by last name. We have Bruno, Derek, Luis, Luis, Mario, Richard, and Mike. Bruno, Derek, Luis, Luis, Mario, Richard, and Mike. If there’s a handy method to remembering those names, I’ll let someone else figure it out.

As a member, however, and given the size of our church, it’s not unreasonable that you should know the names of all our current elders. But beyond their names, knowing who they are should also include knowing them a little more personally.

You might not know all the elders to the same degree, but there should be at least one or two elders that you have a closer relationship with. If that’s not the case, and you’re a member of the church, then something isn’t right—either on our end as elders, or on your end as a member.

I mentioned last week that leaders have a responsibility to reach out personally to the members, but that doesn’t erase your own opportunity to reach out to the elders as well. Make a connection with them, so that you can see better into their lives. Invite them into your life.

Elders are called to serve as examples to the flock, just like Paul was an example to the churches. To the Corinthians, Paul said, “Be imitators of me.” Twice in 2 Thessalonians 3, Paul speaks of the church imitating him.

In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul tells Timothy to be an example to the believers. He says the same thing to Titus in chapter 2.

In 1 Peter 5, the elders are told to be “examples to the flock.” This is the pattern God has set for His church, and it implies some measure of connection between the leaders and the rest of the church. You should be able to see into the elders’ lives.

Keep your place here in 1 Thessalonians and turn with me briefly to Hebrews chapter 13, verse 7, near the end of your Bible. This is a good passage to keep in mind when you think about your relationship to church leaders. Hebrews chapter 13, verse 7. You might want to mark this. Hebrews 13:7—Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

If you want to imitate the leaders God has placed in your life, you need to know who they are. You need to be able to see into their life, their marriage, their faith.

Go ahead and turn back with me to 1 Thessalonians, and let me give you a second way to honor church leaders. Number 2: know what they do. Know who they are, and know what they do.

It’s not enough to just be able to name the elders or their wives and their wives and their kids. The picture the Apostle Paul paints for us is one where the church understands the contribution the leaders make.

Like I told you, the literal translation of the exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 5:12 is that the church should know its leaders. If you notice, however, Paul doesn’t mention the pastors or the elders by name, or even by their title. That could be an indication that although the church had already been established, it didn’t have any formal structure of authority yet. We don’t know that for sure, but it is a possibility.

Another possible reason he doesn’t say “pastors” or “elders” is because he wants the church’s focus to be, not on their title, but on their work. And when I say “work,” I don’t mean their job description, I mean what they are actually doing for the good of the church.

When I was a kid—and this might be the same for you—when I was a kid I didn’t realize all the work my mom and dad put into sustaining a home, taking me and siblings to school, and allowing us to participating in extracurricular activities. I didn’t fully understand what they did.

But as I grew older, and especially now that I have kids of my own, I realize the work that went into those kinds of things. I know what my parents did for me.

In a similar way, you should step back once in a while and consider the work that goes into serving the church and making it grow more and more into the image of Christ.

And this goes for a lot of ministry that goes on within our church. The Sunday sermon is the easy one because it’s public and I’m on staff. But what about all the other things that go one?

The worship team practices and prepares for Sunday morning. Songs are chosen. There are practices and rehearsals. Lyrics don’t just magically appear on the screen. Someone makes that file, and someone runs it. Someone else makes sure the sound system is working.

We’ve got ushers who help make sure you’ve all got a bulletin. They help with the offering as well.

We’ve got nursery workers watching the younger ones.

What about the kids’ classes and the youth and adult classes? Somebody either made or chose the curriculum, and the teacher prepared for the class.

What about the coffee and the bread? It doesn’t get delivered here ready for us to distribute it. Somebody picks it up earlier in the morning. Somebody cuts it and plates it so it’s ready to pass out. Somebody has to brew the coffee and put out all the supplies.

If you are part of an FLG, somebody probably cleaned that house and the bathroom. Somebody provided the meal or the snacks. Somebody is going to clean up after everybody is gone.

And what about these upcoming summer events? Somebody had to plan that and put in the work behind the scenes.

What about the dinner we enjoyed after our last members meeting? Somebody had to prepare that and make it possible.

These are all things that we know have to happen, but we don’t always think about it. To use Paul’s word from verse 12, somebody labored to make this happen. Somebody put the work in.

And this leads me to the third way to honor the leaders. This is simply the next logical step. You should appreciate their work. Appreciate their work.

 Take a moment, not just to know that work was done, but to appreciate the fact that it was done. Look again at verse 13. Paul says the church should esteem the leaders very highly in love because of their work. He makes a direct connection between our appreciation and their work. That’s the mentality Paul wants in the church.

Members should be aware of and recognize the work the leaders put into the church for its edification. Leaders labor for the flock, and rather than take it for granted, the members should appreciate it. They should honor that work.

So, as you think about the work that goes into making church ministry possible, stop and give thanks to God for that. And then you can express appreciation to the workers as well. You don’t need to flatter them. Nobody wants that. But, as the Lord gives you opportunity once in a while, show them your appreciation. Appreciate their work.

A fourth way to honor leaders, and this is really an example of appreciation is to provide for their work. Provide for their work. The last four examples are all going to be tied to work. Appreciate their work, and now, provide for their work.

One New Testament example of honoring a leader’s work is compensation. This is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 9 and in 1 Timothy 5. The churches should make sure their leaders are provided for.

Let me read to you from 1 Timothy 5:17-18. It says this— Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”

The point Paul makes is that an animal or an employee who works should be compensated. Don’t let him starve. And I’m grateful that this church does that for me. They provide for me and my family so that I can give more attention to my role here.

This past week, I was part of a pastors’ meeting where one pastor said that his church provided him with a line in the budget to pay for meals he has with other members. In other words, they expect him to spend time with the members, and they value that, so they provide for it. I’m not advocating for that here, but I mention it to you as an example. That church saw that work as valuable, and so they wanted to provide for it.

Another example of honor comes in the following verse, 1 Timothy 5:19—Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

That’s another expression of honor that enables an elder to continue serving. No one is above correction. But for those men who have given themselves to serve the church as elders, be very careful about allowing others to slander or defame or tarnish their reputation without another witness. This principle, similar to compensation, expresses honor and helps makes sure an elder can continue in his work without being unnecessarily inhibited.

A fifth example of honoring church leaders is cooperate in their work. Cooperate in their work. If the elders are working for the edification of the church, you honor their work by cooperating in it. In other words, do what they are expecting you to do. Put it into practice.

Showing up on Sundays is important, but being a faithful member is much more than just showing up. Don’t forget that. Otherwise, you’ll end up like the kid who got mad because he felt like his baseball coach was expecting too much out of him. So, he says to his coach, “Hey, give me a break! I’m here for every practice, aren’t I?” And the coach said, “Sure, but so are the mosquitos.”

We elders care about seeing you on Sunday, but please don’t think that simply being here is enough. We want to know that you’re putting the things you are hearing into practice. We want to know that the Christian life is meaningful to you. We want to know that you are taking deliberate steps to grow and to walk in Christlikeness.

The Apostle John said it like this—I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

We want to know that you’re working for the same thing we are. We want to know that you are cooperating with us.

In Hebrews 13:17, it says this—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.

You don’t want to be a stubborn member, or an unwilling member. That’s not going to help anyone. It’s going to make our job more difficult.

If you’re a member of this church, we as your elders are assuming that you want to honor and serve Jesus Christ. Based on our membership covenant, we assume you value corporate worship, personal holiness, biblical stewardship, evangelism, prayer, mutual care, and church unity.

You honor our work when you show up on time, when you join a Bible class on Sunday morning, when you are part of an FLG, when you serve others, when you come to the prayer meeting, when you take deliberate steps to grow in your knowledge of the Bible. Those are all examples of cooperating with the work of the elders. We want you to support the things that we support.

Last of all, this is number 6. You will honor church leaders if you join in their work. Join in their work. Know who they are. Know what they do. Appreciate their work. Provide for their work. Cooperate in their work. And lastly, join in their work.

What I mean by that is don’t just worry about your own spiritual health and growth; join with the elders in working for the growth of others. Be a meaningful participant in the lives of others in the church.

In Ephesians 4, which we covered earlier this year, we learned that Christ did not intend for pastors to be the only ones working in the church. They work to equip all the saints for ministry. Christ intends for each part of the body to be working properly so that it builds itself up in love.

For some of you, that means teaching or helping in a formal ministry or class. But even if that’s not the case for you, all of us should be opening up our lives in an informal to encourage others. And all of us should be working for the good of the church.

Verse 13 ends by saying “Be at peace with one another.” That’s not a new subject; that’s an extension of honoring the elders. Kids honor their parents when they don’t fight or argue. Members honor their leaders, when they are peacemakers in the church,

Hebrews 10 reminds us that all of us have a job description in the life of the church. We are here to stir up one another to love and good works. We are here to encourage one another, and all the more as we see the Day drawing near.

This is what God intends for the unity of the church. It’s not simply that we all get along and enjoy time with one another; it’s that we’re all moving and helping others move in the same direction with the same purpose. We are growing into the image of Christ for the glory of God. That is what God’s household does. That’s what unites us.

So, let me close with a final verse from Philippians chapter 1. You can turn there if you like. Philippians chapter 1, verse 27. It’s a great reminder about the value of church unity. It is what Paul wanted for the church, and it is what Jesus wants for the church.

Philippians 1:27—Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.