Obey & Submit
Hebrews 13:17
Emmanuel Christian Church 1.11.26
INTRODUCTION: “Obey and submit.” Our immediate, gut reaction to a
statement like that ranges from “Really?” all the way to “In your dreams!”.
Why is that? Several reasons:
1. We have a broken, sinful rebellious nature. (God on man: “…every
inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.” Genesis 8:21)
2. We are Americans! Submission to authority is NOT in our national
DNA.
3. We are products of our culture. It began in the 1960’s with the
counter-culture revolution whose mottos were: “Question
EVERYTHING”, and “Trust NO ONE over 30!” (Jack Wienberg, age 24
- 1964. He’s 86 now, and unfortunately for him, people stopped
listening to him 62 years ago! Not really… he’s an adjunct faculty
member at the University of Illinois, Chicago!)
PROPOSITION: Let’s face it- “obey and submit” are NOT our favorite
words! HOWEVER, as Christians, God’s Word IS our favorite word, and
this IS what IT says:
Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They
keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so
that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no
advantage to you.
So, our proposition for this morning’s message comes straight out of
Scripture itself: “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority.”
Two words: “obey” and “submit” are at the heart of God’s command.
Knowing what they mean and doing what they require are where we go
this with this morning’s message.
OBEY
- What does that word mean?
- In this context, just what it says- “obey”.
- But, even more than that, it points to the reasons WHY. Because we
are CONVINCED this is God’s plan and we have CONFIDENCE in
God’s men.
- Convinced (this is God’s plan)
- The Scripture is VERY clear about Church polity (POLITY: how the
the church is to be governed).
- The Biblical plan for church governance is simple: a plurality of
Elders under the Lordship of Christ as Chief Elder.
1 Peter 5:1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness
of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be
revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving
as overseers — not because you must, but because you are willing, as
God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3 not
lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4
And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory
that will never fade away.
- Too often, church polity reflects human political models:
- The Papacy of the Roman Catholic Church reflects a MONARCHY.
- The congregationalist government of many protestant churches
reflects a DEMOCRACY.
- The singular pastor model reflects an AUTOCRACY. OR- in America
especially, the BUSINESS MODEL of the CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER.
APPLICATION: Not only are these models of Church government
UNBIBLICAL, they are ANTI-BIBLICAL- that is to say, in opposition to
Biblical goals. Let me say it again: the Biblical plan for church governance
is simple: a plurality of Elders under the Lordship of Christ as Chief Elder.
Obedience and submission to the church Eldership is grounded on
the fact that it is the Divinely prescribed pattern for the Church.
TRANSITION: Obedience to church leadership begins with the conviction
that it is GOD’S PLAN for the Church. But it is also founded on the
confidence that the Eldership is comprised of GOD’S MEN.
- Confident (an Elder is God’s man). Scripture itself provides a VERY
clear description of such a man:
1 Timothy 3:1 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on
being an overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer must be
above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled,
respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not
violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must
manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper
respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how
can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or
he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.
7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not
fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
Titus 1: 6 An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man
whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and
disobedient. 7 Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must
be blameless — not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to
drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather he must
be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright,
holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as
it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and
refute those who oppose it.
“Obey your leaders…”
- “your leaders”
- Who are they? Overseers, Shepherds, Elders
- Three terms, yet they are “one and the same” individual
- Two works: “overseer- supervision”, “shepherd- provision”
- One description: “Elder- an older man”.
APPLICATION: The collective Eldership of the local congregation is the
biblically sanctioned, highest human authority in the Church- itself, subject
to the authority of Christ and His word. Christians are morally bound to
obey such leaders.
Which brings us to our second word:
SUBMIT
- What is submission? TWO IMAGES
- The picture on the left (prisoners of war) is NOT an example of
submission.
- It is a picture of subjugation and surrender.
- The men pictured (sitting in zip-cuffs) are there for one reason-
overwhelming force gave them NO CHOICE.
- The picture on the right (recruit being dressed down) IS a picture of
submission. That recruit is in that position for only one reason- he
made the free-will choice to submit his will to the higher will of the
United States military when he raised his hand and took the oath of
induction into the military. Listen to that oath…
- I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend
the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and
domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and
that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the
orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and
the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God. (Title 10, US
Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789,
with amendment effective 5 October 1962).
APPLICATION: Real submission only takes place when we make the free-
will choice to obey those in authority over us.
- Why is submission to leaders so important to God?
- Submission supports God’s order.
- Lack of submission leads to evil anarchy.
- Here’s a secular example from God’s Word:
Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities,
for there is no authority except that which God has established. The
authorities that exist have been established by God.
4 For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid,
for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent
of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
APPLICATION: If God calls us to submission to civil authorities, how
much more should we be willing to submit to the Eldership of His Church?
- Submission is necessary for God’s leaders to be able to do their job!
What is their job?
- To convince you of things you would not believe on your own.
- To take you to places you would not go on your own.
- To protect you from foolishness that you would not recognize on
your own.
- IF you could do all those things for yourself, you would have NO
NEED of leadership.
APPLICATION: There was a time in the history of God’s people where
leadership was ignored. It is chronicled in the Old Testament book of
Judges. Judges covers one of the darkest chapters in Israel’s history: war,
sin and suffering were the rule of the day- all because God’s people had
rejected both His leadership as well as human leadership. The book ends
with this telling statement: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone
did as he saw fit.” Judges 21:25
Just a couple more good reasons for submission to the Eldership of the
church:
“Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be
of no advantage to you.”
Is ministry leadership tough? Listen to the Apostle Paul:
2 Corinthians 6:3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our
ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we
commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles,
hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard
work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience
and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech
and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand
and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report;
genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown;
dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet
always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet
possessing everything.
2 Corinthians 11:28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of
my concern for all the churches.
Leadership is tough. My own sympathy with Paul’s words has only grown
with the passing of each of the last 42 years of my own ministry.
God’s desire is that leadership be a JOY, not a burden. Your choice to
willingly obey and support the Eldership of this congregation is one way to
make that happen.
Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They
keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so
that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no
advantage to you.
So- what happens when you do that? Progress. The fellowship is
encouraged. The witness of the church is made powerful and the will of
God is accomplished. Amen!
