Trust Pastors Who Lead by the Book
- Message Excerpt by
- Scripture: Hebrews 13:17 Topics: Biblical Eldership, Church Leadership
Audio Transcript
And yes, Redeemer, be obedient and submissive to Jason and the elders. I bet you don’t like those words. You’re Americans for goodness’ sake. Let me try to help in two minutes.
He’s not God. The elders are not God. They are not infallible. Their authority is not absolute, and therefore, your submission and obedience is not absolute. Only God gets absolute obedience and submission. We could show that throughout the New Testament with regard to submission to state, submission to husbands, submission to parents, submission to pastors — you name it. All the structures of submission in the New Testament are relativized by the absolute lordship of Jesus. We know this.
“All the structures of submission in the New Testament are relativized by the absolute lordship of Jesus.”
But here’s the key: Hebrews 13:17 is written on the assumption, and you have called that man on the assumption that leaders — and your pastor in particular — are going to lift up this Bible and speak the word of God and not man. As that happens, show your leaders you want that more than anything by being obedient to the word and submissive to those who speak it.
When you do their joy in God will overflow. We love it when people love God’s truth, not us. We’re afraid. Healthy pastors are afraid of our authority, and the longer you stay in a place the more you have. We know that. This is why we love the book. If you don’t see it don’t believe it.
When I call for you to be obedient and submissive to your leaders, I mean your leaders under the book. Your leaders should have the Bible over their heads at all times.
You should be able to say, “I love this man because he’s under the book. I’m ready to follow him anywhere, even to prison if he said, ‘Let’s go to the prison.’ I’m going to prison with that man because over the years he has won my confidence by being a man under the book.”
You have to be a people of the book.
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