The Church's Responsibility to the Pastors - Jesse Barrington

If you'll open in your
Bibles to 1 Timothy 3.

1 Timothy 3.

I'm going to pray again

just asking God for His help.

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ,

Lord, just that - help us.

Help me.

God, You've ordained all things

and You've ordained
the means of all things.

Help us to look to You

and then walk in obedience to those means.

God, as our brother said,

every blessing in Christ is ours,

but You've ordained that they come to us

through the means of things like prayer

and obedience.

So help us to walk in these manners,

to obey You, to honor You, to look to You.

So come now and meet with us.

Be with us.

God accomplish something -

not just here in this sermon,

but in this conference.

God, that You would get the credit alone;

that it could not be given
to the power of man;

it could not be something that we've done,

but something that You've done
where You would get glory,

You would get credit, God, in each of us.

Thank You for Christ our Savior.

In His name we pray, amen.

1 Timothy 3 -

a text we looked at yesterday.

I'm going to read again to begin us here.

Starting in v. 14.

"I hope to come to you soon,

but I'm writing these things to you

so that if I delay,

you may know how one ought to behave

in the household of God,

which is the church of the living God,

a pillar and buttress of truth."

We looked at that text yesterday

and we recognized this,

that Scripture does give us

direction pointedly on how
we are to behave

in the church -

what our roles are,

what our responsibilities are,

and how we are to relate to one another.

If you were with us last night,

we looked at the role and responsibility

of pastors, of elders.

We noted first that for the church

to be functioning in order,

it's necessary that they have

pastors and elders.

And so we should be praying

and working towards that.

We noted yesterday too

that the elder, the overseer, the pastor

is describing the same office.

It is elder, overseer, pastor

in the same office there.

It is describing one person

which there are to be a plurality of.

We saw also yesterday that elders

are to be biblically qualified men,

and they are to remain qualified.

It's not just that they're qualified

as they enter into or are
considered for that role,

but they are to remain qualified

by having careful watch over themselves.

We noted yesterday too that elders

are made overseers by the Holy Spirit.

They oversee the affairs of the church.

We saw also that they are called

to collectively in the plurality of elders

to shepherd or pastor the flock of God

that is before them.

And we saw that they pastor

by knowing the sheep -

knowing who these people are

that God has entrusted to them.

We also saw that they
are to lead the sheep.

They are to lead by example.

They are to be an example to the sheep

in conduct, love, faith, and purity.

We saw too that they
are to feed the sheep.

They feed them the whole
counsel of God's Word.

And we saw that they
are to protect the sheep.

And we noted yesterday,

yes, to protect the sheep
from the outside influence

of the world coming in,

but to protect the sheep from wolves

that have crept in unnoticed among us.

We noted something about
those wolves yesterday -

that they seek to draw away
disciples after themselves.

They have contagious personalities,

a contagious zeal,

but they begin to speak twisted things

to draw disciples away from the flock

unto themselves.

Well, today we're going to look

at what Scripture has to say

regarding the responsibility

of the congregation to their pastors.

We'll be in a few different
portions of Scripture,

but I'm going to have
you turn over one page

to 1 Timothy 5.

1 Timothy 5.

In chapter 5, Paul is giving instruction

to the church.

Again, how we ought to behave

in regards to our relationships

to one another.

At the beginning of the chapter,

he speaks about how young men

are to relate to older men in the church;

how they're to relate to other
young men in the church;

how they are to relate to
the sisters in the church;

how they are to relate to older women

in the church.

In v. 3-16, he instructs us how

we are to relate to widows in the church.

And then in v. 17,

Paul gives instruction for Timothy

regarding elders, pastors, overseers.

Beloved, this will not
be an exhaustive look

at the congregation's responsibility

to the elders.

So, there will be more that can be said,

but hopefully it will
give us some direction

in regards to these things

and maybe quite possibly

some correction in
regards to these things.

Let's look at v. 17.

Paul writes to Timothy,

"Let the elders who rule well

be considered worthy of double honor,

especially those who labor

in the 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.'

Do not admit a charge against an elder

except on the evidence
of two or three witnesses.

As for those who persist in sin,

rebuke them in the presence of all

so the rest may stand in fear."

First, notice again here that Paul

uses the plural.

Let the "elders..."

We mentioned this yesterday.

That God's design for the church

is to have a plurality of elders -

more than one.

And again, I know we live in
the providence of God here.

But we should be working towards

the raising up of more men

that there would be more than one elder

in the churches.

And he continues here:

"Let the elders who rule well..."

I want to stop there for a moment.

Pay attention to these words.

What is it that the elders are to do?

They are to rule.

They are to lead.

They are set over and
preside over the church,

and again, the affairs of the church.

Saints, this is what Scripture teaches.

There is authority given here.

There is order.

Without authority,

without order there's chaos.

I know in all of us at some level,

whether it's at home -

maybe wives with husbands -

maybe it's in your workplace with a boss;

maybe it's in a church that you've had

an experience where you've experienced

an abuse or a misuse of authority.

And that can be very difficult

to come in and then
hear that God has given

authority in the church to men.

But here's something important.

We cannot allow our bad experience

of abuse or misuse of authority,

or even the potential danger

of misuse of authority

to remove or soften what Scripture teaches

regarding the role of pastors and elders.

Beloved, this is why we have to be careful

who is an elder.

This is why there are qualifications given

when we're considering who
should become an elder

because there is authority given here.

As I thought about this struggle

of the reality that God
has given authority

to elders and pastors in the church

and it's a struggle for us -

I just began to think through

what are the struggles that we have

with authority?

I thought of a couple things.

One I mentioned -

some of us have experienced

an misuse or abuse of authority.

It makes us skeptical to authority;

to the idea of having someone over us.

Second maybe, I know that we

who are in the church

are new creations in Christ -

we're no longer slaves to sin,

but we live in this suit of flesh.

And there are desires in the flesh.

And the desire of the
flesh is one of autonomy.

It's one of self-rule.

It's one of pride.

So the temptation of
self-governing and pride

can lead us to believe at times:

I don't need anyone over me.

I think being an American

does not help in this area.

The notion of America
is one of self-governing.

And as it pertains in relation to

the government in our lives,

there is some good about the concept

of "we the people" - self-governing.

But you can't take the notion

of American thought and way and culture

in regards to government

and then allow that to have you

be resistant within the church

to those who God has given to be over you.

In addition to that,

you remember maybe 20 some odd years ago,

there was a major shift when some men

who hold the title of elder or pastor

decided that they needed to think

of new and innovative ways

how to grow the church.

So what they did is they went to

secular marketing business gurus.

And they said how can we grow

the number of people?

And they got secular marketing plans.

And they brought them into their churches.

And they came up with the notion

what many have referred to

as the seeker-friendly movement.

An attempt through carnal means

to put people in the seats

and get the machine rolling.

And I know us sitting here - I imagine,

most of you if not all of you,

we looked at that and we stand

in resistance to that.

We know that's not God's means

of growing the church.

He grows the church supernaturally

through the proclamation of the Gospel,

regenerating people and drawing them

into the church.

And that's how God grows the church,

but we have to be honest as well

that this notion - maybe many of you

were in some of these churches.

A lot of the people
in our church in Dallas

came out of those churches

and there's residue that's left on them

from coming out of those churches

that has to be undone.

What happened during that time

is we had what's called maybe

a consumer mentality to the local church,

where the church was marketed to people;

where people went out and asked people:

Hey, what is it that you are looking for?

And they asked unbelievers,

what is it that you would
like to see in the church?

And then they began to create those things

and draw people in through
those carnal means

and then they realized,

we have to continue in those carnal means

in order to keep these
unregenerate people here

so we can keep the machine running.

But what happened in all of that

and bled maybe into some
of our churches unknowingly

is this consumer mentality of the church

where the church is here for me.

It's to meet my needs.

And the moment that the church

doesn't meet my needs

or do it the way I want,

well, I'll just go to the next
church down the street.

And so people, you can hear

even how they talk when they come

into the churches sometimes

and you begin to talk with them,

and they talk about using shopping terms

when they're looking for the church.

And that's what people do today.

They shop for churches.

Well, who's going to best meet my needs?

And we need to be honest,

if we've come out of that environment,

some of that has stayed with us.

And it can make us resistant,

because if I come to you and say

I'm going to market this to you,

and then I don't do
things the way you want,

you just say fine, we'll leave
and go somewhere else.

And I see that as bled into
many of our churches.

And it's impacting our understanding

of how we're to relate to one another

because maybe for some of you for so long,

the "pastors" that you sat under

just marketed to you to meet your needs.

And then when you come under

a biblical eldership,

who's mindful of the people,

but they're looking to the Word,

and they strive to be faithful and govern

according to the Word,

and you may disagree,

but they don't change their mind

just to meet your needs
or your preferences.

And if you have a consumer mentality

regarding the church,

I'll just go to the next one then.

Another reason that this
could be hard for us.

We just need to be honest here.

Pastors are imperfect people.

They make bad decisions sometimes.

And we're going to get into this

a little bit more in depth

and try to flesh this out
as we go through this.

Because if they are called to rule,

govern the church,

there will be times when you disagree

with your pastors

and the decisions that they've made.

And I want to ask Scripture,

what are we to do about that?

What are we supposed to do

when they don't do things the way I think

they should be done?

So hopefully we can find

how the Scriptures speak to us.

Let's continue in v. 17.

"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.'"

What does Paul mean when he says here:

"be considered worthy of double honor"?

I think he has at least
two things in mind.

One is the valuing,

the esteeming of elders.

Holding them in high regard.

And the second is dealing with
financially supporting them.

Let's talk about this first one.

The honoring of elders by
holding them in high regard.

Paul says something very similar

to the church in Thessalonica.

Let me read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13,

and you see if you hear a parallel

to this call to honoring.

He writes, "We ask you, brothers,

to respect those who labor among you

and are over you in the Lord

and admonish you,

and to esteem them very highly in love

because of their work."

Did you notice the reason

that you are to honor your pastors?

Did you notice the reason you are

to respect them? To esteem them?

And look at the words:

"very highly in love."

Is it because you agree with them

at every step and turn they make?

No.

Why does Paul tell you here to show honor,

to respect, to esteem your pastors?

Because of their work. That's why.

Paul holds the work, the role,

and the responsibility that pastors have

as a high regard;

as a very vital and essential aspect

to the church.

And because of that work,

he says I want you to honor
them and esteem them.

Not because you agree
at every turn they make.

Just because of the work that they do.

Let me tell you what Paul's not saying.

Paul is not saying that you

as the individual church member

get to decide how well you
think your pastors are doing

in their ruling, in their being over you,

and then if you don't agree with them,

you don't have to show them honor.

That's not what he's calling you to.

He's stating a fact that they are called

to rule, to oversee.

And he says I want you to honor them

and I want you to respect them

because of the work that they do.

Paul is telling Timothy

and the churches to recognize

that God has put these men over you

in the Lord.

And notice I didn't say
"in between" you and the Lord.

This is not a mediator.

This is not the Catholic church notion.

Okay? God in His love and His kindness

has put men over the church -

under-shepherds.

Not in between you and the Lord.

You don't go through your
pastor to get to God - none of that.

But over you in the church.

There is one Mediator in the church.

It's the Lord Jesus Christ.

So what do we do when
these men are imperfect?

They have faults.

They have weaknesses.

And we don't always agree
with their decisions

or their rule.

Typically I hear the argument

in this area of this:

Are you asking us to just
blindly follow these men then?

Are you asking us just to
blindly follow these men?

And Paul would say to you: No.

And I am in no way telling
you to blindly follow men.

But we do need to see the role

that they have of ruling;

of being over you in
the affairs of the church.

I'll tell you this,

you may be looking at me right now

and saying, we'll, you're a pastor.

Maybe it sounds like I'm
making a power grab.

But I can say this for one time,

thankfully none of you are in the church

that I pastor.

Not one person here is in
the church that I pastor.

So in regards to you,

I have no personal gain

in sharing these things with you.

I don't get anything.

If you say, okay, we're going
to honor our pastors -

personally it doesn't impact me

in the church that I pastor in Dallas.

But I want you to know this,

as a pastor and of the pastors here,

you need to put these things

before your people in your church.

Because who else is going
to teach them these things?

Not many people will get up
and teach these things.

Preaching these things in your own church

does sound self-motivated,

but I will not apologize for what it is,

because we're looking at God's Word.

We're looking at multiple
places in Scripture -

not an obscure passage.

Multiple places in Scripture

that speak to the role,

the authority, and the rule

of elders within the church.

I'm sharing these things with you

because this is God's Word

and because as you obey these things

and submit to these truths,

it goes well for you in your church.

I'm speaking these things to you

for your edification and for the health

of your local church,

and ultimately then for the glory of God.

So we'll speak more about what do we do

when we disagree here
in just a few moments.

Pastors, let me share
this with you though.

If you have any fear about getting up

in front of your church

and sharing these truths with them,

I want you to know this.

They will gladly receive them

because they see that you love them.

It's through our serving the saints

that they may be tempted in a moment

to think this is self-serving;
this is a power grab of our pastor,

but when you are sitting
there laboring with them,

praying with them,

sitting across tables with them,

demonstrating your love with them,

they'll humble themselves in these moments

and they won't perceive it as a power grab

as you teach them God's Word.

Well, Paul goes on in regards to honor.

And he said not only should this mean

respect for the role that they have,

the job that they do,

but he is speaking also
of financial support.

And you notice here that he says:

"especially those who labor

in the preaching and
teaching of the Word."

Paul's argument for
financially supporting

the pastors is tied to
Old Testament texts.

It's tied to Deuteronomy 25

and Leviticus 19.

"You shall not muzzle the ox
when it treads out the grain."

And "the laborer deserves his wages."

Paul fleshes this out if you
want to study it more

in 1 Corinthians 9.

But Paul so values the role of pastors

and particularly within the eldership

or the plurality, those who are given

to the preaching and teaching of the Word

that he says whenever it's possible,

working towards this end,

that you should set that person apart

for the ministry of the Word and prayer.

Beloved, let me ask you this:

Do you think about
that when you're giving?

This is of value for you.

I know that sometimes that's
not a possibility in the moment.

And I think most of us
here who are pastoring

probably were bi-vocational.

I worked bi-vocationally for 8 years.

And I want you to know it was so hard

on me and my family.

But it also wasn't good for the church.

And again, we live in the
providence of God,

but to the degree that we're able,

we should be giving so we can

set these men apart -
especially those who labor

in the preaching and teaching of the Word.

Set them apart so they can be

fully devoted to these things

for the building up of the church.

What you'll see very often

when he differentiates here

among the plurality,

that you will see within the plurality,

all of them need to be able to teach,

but you'll see very often
where there will be

one or two of those elders just set apart

for the preaching and
teaching of the Word.

And when you recognize that,

strive to set those people apart

by supporting them financially

so they can fulfill this call.

Even the ones who are set apart,

remember this, within the plurality though

it's a co-equal shepherding.

Just because one is given

to the preaching and teaching of the Word,

it does not mean that
he's a senior pastor.

There are pastors.

There's no levels here.

They're co-equals.

They shepherd collectively together.

And some of them within the co-equal

are given to the preaching
and teaching of the Word.

So far we've seen that
elders are called to rule;

to preside over the church.

The congregation is to see that

and to honor that.

They're to respect the elders

and to esteem them highly in love

because of their role.

They're to provide for
the elders in the church

material as they feed you spiritual.

Especially those who are given

to the preaching and teaching of the Word.

Beloved, any true pastor is not in this

for greedy gain.

Peter warns about that in 1 Peter 5.

Let me share this too though.

I've heard this notion - again,

you aren't in the church I pastor,

so remember, I don't have
a motive for you here personally.

Keeping your pastor poor is not holy.

There's this notion: if we pay our pastor

this much money, he'll be
in it for the money.

If he's in it for the money,
he's disqualified.

No one's going into this calling

for material gain,

but don't go into it with

a monastic mentality.

Just keep them poor.
It will keep them holy.

I'm not advocating to
make him rich either.

But don't ask this man

what's the least amount of money

you could possibly humanly survive on?

And then give him that amount.

You don't treat anyone else like that

and you don't treat yourself like that.

Be mindful of your pastor.

Give him enough money

that he can be an example
in his own giving.

That's a good rule.

He needs to lead in all ways.

He should be an example to the church

in his own giving to the church

and to missions.

But if you've said, well,

this is the least amount you can live by.

We'll give him $10 over that.

How is he to lead then
in the example of giving?

Be mindful of your pastor in these ways.

Let's look at v. 19.

This might be one of
the most important parts

about your relationship to your pastors.

Paul tells Timothy in v. 19,

"Do not admit a charge against an elder

except on the evidence

of two or three witnesses."

The NASB renders it,

"Do not receive an accusation..."

The NIV says, "Do not even entertain

an accusation except on the account

of two or three witnesses."

Paul seems to understand something.

As people struggle with this idea

of elders being over the church

and the resistance to that

that is often within the church,

Paul recognizes that one of the ways

some people might try to deal

with an elder's decision they don't like

is by lobbing an accusation against them.

And Paul's telling Timothy here -

remember Timothy is acting as an elder

in this church right now.

And he's telling Timothy,

hey, when you're in there

and you have these elders with you,

don't receive; don't even entertain

an accusation against the elders

unless it's on the account of
two or three witnesses.

Paul's trying to protect the elders.

Not because elders don't
need accountability.

They do.

There again's another
reason for the plurality.

And not because they're
not capable of sin.

They are.

In fact, we'll see in the next verse

how he deals with elders who are in sin.

But Paul seems to recognize

that there will be many accusations

made against elders or an elder

in the church.

And he's telling Timothy
how to handle this.

How to handle it when people

don't agree with the elders

and then begin to make
accusations against them.

Paul is not saying that if
you have an accusation -

you become aware of sin against an elder,

that you shouldn't do anything.

He's not saying that.

Remember again, Paul's
functioning as an elder.

So if someone in the church there

saw or heard of something

in regards to an elder being in sin,

they're to go to Paul

and bring that accusation
to the other elder.

But what Paul is telling Timothy here

is but do not entertain it;

don't consider it until there's
two or three witnesses.

Let me tell you what that does not mean.

That does not mean that if someone

has an accusation against an elder,

that they are to go out then

and find other church members

and share with them their understanding

of the issue they have with the elder

so they can get two or three witnesses

and then they can go in and present

their case against the elder.

That's not what it means.

What he means here is that

when sin becomes public to someone,

they go to an elder in the church,

and that elder hears it. He listens.

He begins to pray.

And then when somebody else -

not because they've come together

in some plan -

but when someone else,

God brings that sin to the surface,

they become aware of it,

they go to the elder as well.

And now we have two people coming

as witnesses in regards to an accusation.

And Paul says in the next verse,

you deal with that swiftly

and you deal with that publicly then.

And there's a principle
here for all of us.

If Timothy is not to entertain or admit

a charge against an elder,

except on the evidence
of two or three witnesses,

do you think there's a
principle for us in there?

Let me tell you the principle I think

is in there for us.

When someone begins to disagree

with an elder or decisions
that the elders have made,

they may not run around and claim

sin against the elder upright.

But very often, what we see happening

is that they do begin
to go to other members

in the church

and subtly begin to make accusations

against the elder or the elders

because they disagree.

Now if Paul tells Timothy

do not entertain an accusation

against the elders except on the evidence

of two or three witnesses,

what should that look like for you?

When someone in the church comes to you

and inevitably they present this to you

as great concern they
have for the church -

I've got great concern
for the church right now

and I want to come to you

regarding this elder and this decisions

or the elders and the decision,

and the elders are what they're saying.

Are you not in that moment entertaining

an accusation against the elders?

Think of what that means: to entertain.

To consider the accusations.

We disagree with the elders in this area

and here's why.

Is that a church member's responsibility

to other church members?

No.

That's not a church
member's responsibility

to other church members.

It's not to go and present

your disagreements with the elders

to other church members to gather a coup.

That's not your role.

And I would guess many
of you are not doing that -

hopefully none of you are,

but one thing I want to
warn you to be careful of:

are you on the receiving
end of that though?

Are you on the entertaining end of that?

Where someone in the
church has a disagreement

with the elders and they come to you

and they say,

"Well, I don't know if I agree with
the elders in this area then."

And you sit down and you
begin to entertain these things?

Can I tell you what's
happening when you do that?

You're allowing an undermining -

a seed to be planted in
you regarding the elders -

and it will create a lens for you

through which you will
begin to look at everything

your elders do in light of that.

It creates division in the church.

Entertaining accusations
against the elders.

Now, when you begin to talk like this,

people get concerned because they say

what if the pastors are asking us

to clearly go against Scripture?

Are we just supposed to sit quietly by

and do nothing?

No.

But I want to be honest with us.

In these scenarios,

for the most part,

the issues that are brought up

are not when a pastor or pastors

are asking you to disregard Scripture.

They're most likely not telling you

there are other paths

to forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

They're usually not dealing with

the person or the nature of Jesus Christ.

Usually when these things arise

we're dealing in other matters.

Usually it's in areas
where we may disagree

with the ways that pastors
have made a decision.

Or it's another what we might call

a secondary issue.

A non-salvific issue.

Where you hold to a
different understanding.

Or even more likely - a preference.

How we do things in the church

that we disagree with.

And saints, I want you
to have healthy churches.

And it's usually in these areas

that I find people going
around and saying:

You know, I really need to share with you

where I disagree with
the elders in this area,

and why I think they're
doing this wrong,

and why I think they're wrong.

And we sit very often and begin
to entertain these things.

If you have an issue where you believe

your pastor is leading you

or your pastors are leading you

contrary to the Word of God,

you need to go to your pastors.

You need to do it in a spirit of humility

because they are over you in the Lord.

And you need to share with them

why you disagree with them.

But again, most of what I
see happening out there

is not in regards to a pastor telling you

to disregard Scripture,

or to forsake something
God's told you to do.

Most of the time it's in regards to:

I just disagree with the elders here.

Are the elders not accountable then?

What do we do if an
elder does persist in sin?

Look at v. 20.

"As those who persist in sin,

rebuke them in the presence of all

so that the rest may stand in fear."

Listen, when elders and pastors are in sin

they are dealt with very quickly

and they're dealt with publicly.

When elders are in sin and presiding

and continuing in sin,

it goes before the church.

God uses it redemptively

to bring fear into the church

of how serious sin is

in regards to these things.

Elders are under accountability.

They're accountable to God.

They're accountable to the Scriptures.

And in that sense, they are accountable

to the congregation.

They're accountable to
the other elders there.

God's not allowing pastors

to not be under accountability here.

He deals with sin in pastors very quickly.

I want to turn to one
other portion of Scripture.

That's in the book of Hebrews.

We looked at this verse yesterday.

Hebrews 13:17.

If you'll turn there with me.

One more verse.

The writer says here,

"Obey your leaders

and submit to them,

for (here's the reason)

they're keeping watch over your souls

as those who will give an account.

Let them do this with joy

and not with groaning,

for that would be of no advantage to you."

Obey your elders. Obey your leaders

and submit to them.

That's clear.

Obey them and submit to them.

Why?

They're keeping watch over your soul

and they're going to give an account.

The author is not calling
you to blind obedience.

If an elder calls you
to disregard Scripture,

you should obey God rather than man.

But again, when we're dealing with

differences of preference;

when we're dealing with
a different understanding

of maybe a portion of Scripture,

what are you to do?

What do I do when the
elders make a decision

I disagree with?

When if I'm being honest,
they're not asking

me to disregard Scripture,
but I just see it a different way.

How we should live this out.

What does he call us to?

Submission.

It doesn't mean you fully agree

with what the elders have decided.

It means you recognize the place

that God has given them
in their local church.

And as they're striving to pastor

in accordance with Scripture,

you may disagree with something.

What do I do when I disagree?

You submit.

Let me share something
that is kind of hard for us.

Submission is not
demonstrated when you agree.

Submission is most
demonstrated when you disagree.

When God calls you to submit to Him,

Paul seems to think one of the ways

that you demonstrate
your submission to God

is by demonstrating your submission

to the authority that
He's put in your life.

In the book of Ephesians,

he seems to say something like this:

Are you submitted to God?

Well, yes, I am.

Well, then, wives, show that submission

as you submit to your husband

who I've put over you.

What if I don't agree with my husband?

You submit.

Yes, if your husband asks you

to forsake the Bible,

you obey God rather than man.

We've dealt with that.
This isn't blind submission.

But let's be honest, most of our struggles

with submission is not
because our parents,

our husbands, our governing authorities

are telling us to turn away
and forsake Scripture.

It's because we've come
to a place of disagreement.

And what does that mean?

That when there's a place of disagreement,

we recognize the order, the structure

that God has put into place.

God, I'm submitted to You,
I just can't submit to my husband.

What does 1 Peter 3 say?

Even when some don't obey the Word.

God, I'm submitted to You,

but my parents...
I just disagree with them.

I won't submit.

Children, you demonstrate
your submission to God

in your submission to your parents.

One brother working through this idea

of submission in regards to your pastors

gave an illustration I found very helpful.

He said something to this effect:

In your struggle to submit
to imperfect elders

because you don't always agree,

if I was your pastor,
let me ask you a question.

What do you want me to tell

your rebellious teenager

when they come sit down with me?

And they say to me:

Pastor, I don't agree with my parents.

Do I have to submit to them?

What do you want your pastor

telling your teenager

when they don't agree with you?

Should they submit?

I think a good pastor would
say to that teenager this:

If your parents ask you to
disregard clear Scripture,

you obey God rather than man.

But if you come to a
place of disagreement,

you submit and demonstrate
your submission to God

as you submit to your parents.

You don't want a pastor
telling your teenager:

hey, only submit to your parents

when you agree with them.

Otherwise, you're free to do
whatever you want to do.

That's not the idea of an order.

And that's the notion
given here in Hebrews.

Submit to them.

Submit to them.

The writer then says this at the end:

"Let those who watch over you

do this with joy and not with groaning,

for that would be of no advantage to you."

Do you see how he reasons with us?

Don't you realize that when you disagree

with someone that God has placed

in authority over you and you refuse

to obey and submit to them,

that you're actually making
it harder on yourself?

When pastors are having to deal

with people who refuse to submit to them,

they're often taken away

from the ministry of the Word and prayer

that could be of benefit
to that very person

who refuses to acknowledge

the order that God has given.

It distracts from the church.

It takes away from the church.

It takes away from the joy of pastoring.

And we as pastors, this is something

we have to go through.

We understand that.

And so we lay our lives
down for these things.

But the writer here
wants to reason with you.

When you don't acknowledge God's order,

it goes worse for you.

You're not going to agree with everything

your pastors do.

So in summary, if they're asking you

to disobey and disregard

clear teachings in Scripture,

you obey God rather than man.

But when they make decisions,

arrive at different conclusions

than you do in Scripture,

it is not your job to go around the church

and try to persuade others

why your pastors are wrong

and why you're right.

And you're not to be on the receiving end

of those conversations

in the principle we learned

of entertaining those things.

Saints, there's an order
that God has given us

in our churches.

It's for our good.

Pray for your pastors as
they make these decisions.

When you disagree, it's
okay to go talk with them.

But it's not okay to say,

well, I'm not going to submit.

That's not your role.

Your role is one of submission.

And I want what's best for you.

So I won't apologize

for the clear teachings
in Scripture in this area.

And I'm going to exhort
the pastors here again

before we close.

We need to be putting these things

before our people regularly.

It's regularly in Scripture.

And it's uncomfortable in your own church

to preach and teach these things.

But let's not be men that apologize

for the Word of God.

Let's pray.

Father, we come in the
name of Jesus Christ.

Father, we want to honor Your Word.

Father, we want to fulfill our roles

and our call.

We want to be faithful

in how we relate to one another

because You've given
these things for our good.

God, help pastors to be faithful.

Help them to be men of the Word.

Help them to not be domineering

and lording over people.

But help them also not
to shy away from leading,

which involves making hard decisions.

Help Your people then, God, to honor

the role that You've given them

to submit even in some
areas of disagreement, God.

To honor You as they submit to those

You've put over them.

Help us to demonstrate
our love and honor to You

as we demonstrate our submission to those

You've put over us.

For the good of the church.

For the edification of the church.

And for the glory of Your name

in these places.

We ask these things in
the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.