The Sheep's Responsibility B

It's easy to be unkind and it's easy to be critical. And it's easy to be indifferent to someone you don't know deeply and intimately when you know someone and you come to know them by experience, and you understand the passion of their heart is a certain respect that is born out of that kind of knowing, so it is incumbent upon you that you come to know your leaders and then when you know them, you show them that kind of aimed at helping pastors strengthen and build up the people in their congregations, but there are very very few if any resources on how church members can strengthen and build up their pastors. So today on grace to you. John MacArthur's going to look at how you can bless your church leaders how you can be a source of encouragement to them and take burdens off their shoulders. This lesson on how you can minister to your pastor is part of John series.

The Bible driven church turn to the book of first Thessalonians. And here's John well it's open our Bibles for our time in God's word chapter 5 of first Thessalonians chapter 5 of first Thessalonians were studying verses 12 and 13 let me read them to you. First Thessalonians 512 and 13 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.

These two verses discuss how the sheep are to treat the shepherd out.

The shepherds are to treat the sheep within the framework of Christian fellowship in the church.

We talked about the responsibility of the shepherds to the sheep how shepherds are to care for their sheep. That of course was a message close to my own heart, as a shepherd who has sheep in the responsibility before God to do that kind of chair we already looked at the responsibility of the shepherds to their sheep and we noted that they are the labor among the sheep. First of all. Secondly, their exercise authority over the sheep and they are to give instruction for the sheep. We carefully delineated those three things. The first point, laboring among the sheep you notice there in verse 12. Those who diligently labor among you, pastors, elders, overseers, shepherds are to labor hard work to the point of exhaustion, and a sacrificial life of service alongside the sheep total dedication is seen there. That's the servant role of humility and then note please. Also they have charge over you in the Lord.

They have authority over the sheep virtue of the Lord's calling for his sake by his will for his glory. They are to preside and direct and lead and then at the end of verse 12 there to give you instruction instruction for the sheep. Teaching is the primary element they are to be skilled teachers, skilled at delineating and disseminating the word of truth. Now let's go to the responsibility of the sheep to their shepherds and this is very very basic. I mean the church has to know this. This is the bottom line in our relationship together sometime seem to be very hard on shepherd somebody said we think sheep are cuddly little creatures because the only ones we ever deal with are stuffed that's true. If you've ever worked with sheep and I have been exposed to them just enough to know they are weak, helpless, unorganized prone to wander, demanding, dirty and have sharp hooves and when the Lord was describing acid sheep. He was talking about sheep as sheep not sheep as stuffed animal sheep can make life joyless for the shepherd if they don't follow the path of their duty, they can make life miserable. If they're not obedient. So let's look at the three characteristics or principles that we are enjoined as sheep for our shepherds number one appreciate your shepherds. Verse 12 says we request of your brother that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction.

The word appreciate for a moment, is only died in the Greek it means to know it is a common word used all over the New Testament for to know what it means the kind of knowledge it comes by experience to have learned to know to have come to know two by experience to arrive at knowledge and here it has the idea of a deep knowledge and the knowledge that includes unit respect and appreciation to knowing the value is the implication of it here. Perhaps the best translation is the word to appreciate another one might be that you value those who diligently labor among you that you respect those who diligently labor among you, doesn't mean to know their names, not that kind of simplistic knowledge. It doesn't mean you know just the names of their children or their wife for their ZIP Code or where they live or or whatever school they graduated from work. What kind of car they drive or whatever, it means that you have come into a deep and intimate personal acquaintance that leads to appreciation. You know them well enough to care about them, that word no is sometimes translated to refer to the physical act between a man and a woman. The deep kind of knowledge. The intimate kind of knowledge where a man knows a woman and she becomes the bearer of a child.

It's the sense of knowing someone in the worthiness of that someone from constantly given a comment when I enter in the questions of people who listen to me preach very very frequently they will say to me I feel like I know you, I've never been personally acquainted with you like I haven't spent a lot of time with you but I feel like I know you and what they're really saying is that because they have listened for so long to the pouring out of the heart of the preacher. There's a sense in which you know that person and I always reply by saying with you been listening to me. You know me because what you're hearing is is what is me. I am not what I look like. In fact I tell people all the time when they meet me so I listen you on radio for years. I said I know I look better on radio. It isn't a question of of what I look like you don't know me by knowing what I look like you know me by knowing what I feel right. You know me by knowing what comes out of my heart you know me by knowing the passions of my life.

It's easy to be unkind and it's easy to be critical and it's easy to be indifferent to someone you don't know deeply and intimately when you know someone and you come to know them by experience, and you understand the passion of their heart is a certain respect that is born out of that kind of knowing, so it is incumbent upon you that you come to know your leaders if you want to respect them and appreciate them and admire them and understand their worth and their value.

It means that you are going to have to come to know them and then when you know them, you show them that kind of respect I need to say that this has some overtones regarding financial support and again I want to give a disclaimer.

I do not want to raise. I will not accept the race not asking for a raise but it is important for you to know that the connection in the text implies that this matter of appreciation involves giving financial support to show you that you need only look at first Timothy 517 just briefly there where it says let the elders who rule well those who do it with excellence be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching not here are elders ruling and they are worthy men there worthiness calls for double honor to may what is that mean well it can mean respect, it can mean high regard, but the context here shows it includes pay, he has just been prior versus versus 316 discussed the support of widows now he discusses the support of ministers, pastors, and he is saying if they rule well they are worthy of double to me. By the way on a number of occasions in the New Testament Matthew 27, six and nine first Corinthian 620, the word to may associate with money so he is saying give them respect and remuneration and make it double double honor, double respect and generous pay. Why, because you are rewarding the well ruling elders.

Those that are diligent, faithful elders, they are worthy. They deserve it. And by the way, is a footnote, there's nobody better to be trusted than a godly man with the resources you given in whose hands could you better put that than a godly man who would use it to the glory of the Lord and at the end of the verse, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching those who work hard in the word trust them with God's money.

Reward them, show your honor to them in a tangible way. So this kind of a flow where elders are worthy of honor. Elders are worthy of honor with remuneration, hard-working, excellent elders are worthy of double honor, hard-working, and excellent elders who major in preaching and teaching are particularly worthy of respect and remuneration.

Every faithful shepherd is to be appreciated, respected and admired honor and supported there's a there's a very simple direct verse that states this back in first Corinthians 9 and will move quickly through the let next two points but back in first Corinthians 9 I will take the time to belabor the point. There is a principal in verse 14 first Corinthians 914 that sums it up, so also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. Those who proclaim the gospel are to get their living from the gospel. That means if you spend your life doing it.

You are to be supported in the doing.

So now you can go back again to our text in first Thessalonians chapter 5, the first thing that the congregation is to give to the leaders the elders pastors is respected incorporates care and remuneration to support them to double honor them being generous, not just a bare minimum so they have to scrape by but showing great generosity and respect and admiration to them knowing they will be good stewards of what you give them what is the congregation's responsibility, respect, admiration, honor, appreciation.

Secondly, and this builds right on that esteem. Your shepherds esteem them, he says down in verse 13, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Now this is very much like the first one not a lot of difference to esteem the gal my means to consider or to regard to think it means to go a little deeper than the first duty because it says you are to esteem them. How very highly. You know what that is in the Greek beyond all measure, beyond all measure and then the keyword in love in love because of their work. Not because of their personality. This is not a personality contest because of their work. You are to regard them beyond all measure. You are to regard a faithful pastor beyond all measure. There's another point is there's no limit there's no limit to the regard you want to have for that man to the love that you want to have for that man you are to love that man. What is love mean it means sacrificial sacrificial service to him. It means affection for him, not because of his personality, not because he's done favors for you, but because of his work because he ministers to you the word of God because he feeds your needy soul. In Galatians, you would notice. Chapter 4 in verse 14, Paul says that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you didn't despise or loathe Paul had some bodily condition and made them repulsive to be around, and he says you didn't load that there was nothing attractive about the man. Nothing at all, you didn't love that you received me as an angel of God, you received me as Christ Jesus himself. That's the spirit that's the attitude no matter what the personality no matter what might be the things it would not be welcomed, such as some loathsome disease you received me as if I were an angel of God or Christ himself and then he says in verse 15. If possible, you would've plucked out your eyes and given them to me may have been some think it was that he had some ugly losing eye disease and he says you would've taken your own eyes right out of your own sockets and given them to me if you could've that's esteeming beyond all measure you love me, in spite of what was loathsome about my condition you love me, in spite of the fact that I wasn't anything to look at and you would've plucked out your eyes for me. That kind of sacrificial love in Galatians will be reminded what you that as Paul writes the letter he really is saying to them. That's how it used to be. What happened to change that and he writes in a heartbroken way. What happens change that. What did I do to make you change your love the sheep that are to appreciate more than that.

They not only are to give respect and remuneration to one they know is there shepherd, but they are to love the shepherd beyond all measure to the point of any personal sacrifice. Why not because of their personality, but because of their work. They been called by God. They been set apart for a special work and the people are to appreciate them and to acknowledge and love that work. They have been called to do this in the John 1320 truly, truly, I say to you, he receives whomever I send receives me and he receives me receives him was sent me when you receive the shepherd you are receiving the great Shepherd who sent him and the and the God who sent the great Shepherd in love you esteem your elders your pastors in your esteem for them has no limits whatever level appreciation you have now increase it in love. You are to love them because of what they do and if you do not you're in disobedience to these direct words of Scripture that love means you seek their best. That love means you overlook their weaknesses and frailties that love means you speak well of them that love means you encourage them that love means you lift them up is called man of God who have brought you the truth, and finally, and thirdly he says in verse 13 live in peace with one another. That's the third thing, submit to your shepherds. There is nothing more grieving, more distracting, more difficult, more painful than discord in the church that concept of living in peace with one another is a very familiar New Testament exhortation we know about. It's all over the New Testament and you can find it in Romans 1419 and second Corinthians 1311. In Ephesians 43 Colossians 315 James 318, over and over again.

The New Testament calls for peace, but here it's very specific here it is in this context of the relation between the sheep in the shepherd and it should be a peaceful one submit to your shepherds is the point submit no strife eliminate conflict. Obviously, it presupposes a faithful shepherd where a man is faithful and doing the best that he can in the strength of the spirit of God, you are to submit to that. That's a command of Scripture go to Hebrews 13 will wrap this point up at that particular Scripture Hebrews 13 seven. You have three Scriptures in Hebrews 13 the direct themselves at the congregation how there to deal with the shepherd in verse seven it says remember those who led you your leaders remember them.

Who are they, who spoke the word of God to you and the remembering here is is a remembering of love is a remembering of affection and written member. They spoke the word of God to you and consider the result of their conduct and imitate their faith. They spoke to the word remember the result of their conduct how God bless their lives and use them mightily imitate their faith and know that Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday today and forever will deal with you in obedience the same way he dealt with them in obedience and don't you dare be carried away by very strange teachings. You remember those who taught the truth and you appreciate them and you love them and you esteem them and downing verse 17 he adds more directly. First he says remember them, remember them with a thankful heart and now he says in verse 17 obey your leaders and submit to them. Obey your leaders and submit the settlement. I think I might be wrong. Fine obey them and submit to them anyway. They have to give the account not you don't ever think that you can bypass your leadership. They give the account unless they ask you to do something on biblical unscriptural ungodly and sinful.

You are to follow them with a sobering duty as shepherds, we give the account you follow leadership, obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. That's a very strong statement in a very formidable one for personal and spiritual leadership like me or any other pastoral or we have a sobering duty. We will give an account before God.

That's a tough enough thing to have to live with. I live without all the time. I am accountable to God for the condition of the sheep. I am accountable to God for the decisions that I make and we as a group are accountable to God for what we decide as we seek the wisdom of the spirit.

That's what we never do anything that isn't unanimous among us as elders because we want to be sure we know the mind of God as we lead you because we have to give an account choices obey stubborn, self-willed people will steal the joy of their pastors and give them grief.

Follow verse 17 let them do this with joy and not with grief or this would be unprofitable for you.

You want a miserable church have a miserable pastor, your miserable pastor don't submit Realty is take his joy away and he'll be a miserable manual be miserable people, stubborn, self-willed people steal the joy of their leaders and give themselves nothing but pain that's unprofitable for you always, does not help you is not work for you to have a grieving shepherd to have a joyless shepherd. Jeremiah certainly knew about that Jeremiah had a ministry without joy because it was so much conflict he was in pain constantly because the people rebelled and refused to submit to the things he said even though they were the words of God. In chapter 9 he says all that, my head waters my eyes a fountain of tears I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people that I had in the desert a wayfarers lodging place. I might leave my people and go from them.

I get out of this place and leave these stubborn, rebellious, obstinate, hardhearted people. If I could get away for all of them are adulterers and assembly of treacherous men. They bend their tongue like the bow lies and not truth prevailed in the land. They proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the Lord. Jeremiah was the weeping prophet Jesus had the same experience Jerusalem.

Jerusalem fell off. That would've gathered you as a hen gathers her brood. You would not you would not any wet.

He wept and so the congregation is to live in peace with his leadership.

You don't cultivate strife you don't cultivate conflict you submit and you obey. They have to give the account to God, but you do what they do. If you follow their lead faithfully, dutifully they have misled you somehow made unwise decisions. They will give an account to God you will be blessed for being obedient. As long as were not talking about some sinful thing there on your on your own to apply the truth of Scripture.

Simple duties aren't they really if the church is to be a rich, sweet, happy, blessed place, then shepherds somehow to be responsible to fulfill their duty to the sheep and sheep are to be responsible to fill their duty to the shepherd. That means you appreciate them with respect and remuneration you esteem them beyond all measure in love, to the point that you make any sacrifice for them and that means you lift them up, you speak well of them.

You encourage them.

You do everything to make their ministry positive because they are the channel of blessing that God is used to bring the truth to you.

And thirdly you submit to them so that you reduce the church to a place of peace and you eliminate all conflict when people act like that and shepherds act like that in the church becomes the place of joy and peace that God intends it to be reminded when Saul was first made King there went with him. It says in first Samual 1026. A band of men whose heart got touched and while news of nae Hash injuring the people of God came the Holy Spirit came mightily on Saul, the Scripture says, and as a result of the summons it says they came out as one man in the next chapter, chapter 11. Here was a band of men whose heart got touched who with their king came out as one man that kind of oneness that kind of unity is what God calls for the church shepherd and sheep in perfect harmony as a shepherd labors diligently leads and directs feeds and the people appreciate support love and submit faithful shepherds, faithful people makes the kingdom advance gives glory to God.

You're listening to Grace to you featuring John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary. He calls his current series. The Bible driven church John were talking about being a Bible driven church, a Bible driven people. Here's an important point to make your never going to be driven by the Bible. If you're not regularly feeding on its truth. If your heart isn't full of it.

If your mind isn't meditating on it and John even for people who love the word of God. It still takes work hard work to know Scripture well enough to let it drive you yeah it's like anything. It's a discipline and we need to be in the word every day you we don't live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. And that means the whole of Scripture you you want to start at that point to start reading the Bible. It's amazing how the Bible is so self-explanatory that it will explain itself to you as you accumulate more reading in the text so the best starting point for you to be of Bible driven person is to know what's in the Bible as he said Phil and here's a tool that we talk about. Toward the end of the year and a need to mention it now because were still early enough in January. It's the MacArthur daily Bible. There is no substitute for daily Bible reading.

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