THE JOY AND GRIEF OF LEADERSHIP
Hebrews 13:17
By Dr. Cleavon Matthews Sr.
November 15, 2009
INTRODUCTION
Leading and following are eternally etched into the fabric of human relationships. In countless ways, we are participants in this interconnected dynamic. No group or organization of people can survive without the successful dynamic of leaders and followers.
Leadership is all around us. It is germane to the corporate environment as well as governmental institutions. Leadership exists in both homes and huddles. This dynamic interchange of leaders and followers is in both the larger society and smaller social groups. Leadership occurs everywhere.
A lot of time, attention, and research have been devoted to helping men and women to become better leaders. Leadership has become a science and specialty amassing an unlimited number of references, resources, academic degrees, training, and conferences.
While this emphasis on leadership is essential, it is only one side of the equation. There is no leadership when there are no followers. Like leaders, followers need to be taught, trained, encouraged, and empowered to follow.
We should not falsely assume that we know how to follow. Jesus spent His entire public ministry trying to recruit and sustain followers or disciples. The Lord was calling people to deny themselves, pick up their cross, and follow Him. Ultimately, His followers, would become leaders but not before they had proven their willingness and ability to follow Him!
Following is a part of life! You are not fit to lead if you are not willing to follow!
Students follow teachers
Teachers follow principals
Principals follow boards
Athletes follow coaches
Coaches follow general managers
Privates follow sergeants
Sergeants follow lieutenants
Lieutenants follow captains
Nurses follow doctors
Doctors follow administrations
Board Members follow Chairmen
Wives follow husbands
Children follow parents
Younger siblings follow older siblings
Actors follow directors
Passengers follow pilots
Managers follow executives
Technicians follow managers
Members follow ministers and shepherds
Ministry members follow ministry leaders
Choral members follow choral directors
Everybody follows Christ
Unfortunately, our culture has grown increasingly averse to following. The position of follower is perceived as inferior and inglorious. The role of follower has been stigmatized as insignificant and has become undesirable. This is ironic because all of us are followers of someone or something. Our aversion to following is connected to an over emphasis of the individual and a de-emphasis on the whole. We have forgotten that there is on “I” in team! When the Yankees win the World Series, everyone on the team gets a ring and shares in the history.
Leading and following in the church of our Lord is more important than leading and following in any other organization.
When people don’t lead and follow in the schools, students are not educated.
When people don’t lead and follow in the church, spirits are not fed the eternal word.
When people don’t lead and follow in the hospital, lives are lost.
When people don’t lead and follow in the church, souls are lost.
When people don’t lead and follow in the workplace, jobs are lost.
When people don’t lead and follow in the church, there are no laborers for the harvest.
When people don’t lead and follow in the CDC, disease spread.
When people don’t lead and follow in the church, sin spreads.
When people don’t lead and follow in the FDA, contamination occurs.
When people don’t lead and follow in the church, corruption occurs.
The Hebrew writer has something vital to say about following leaders in the kingdom. This epistle was written to Christians of Jewish ancestry. Like most New Testament epistles, it was written to address current concerns.
The church was under intense scrutiny and pressure from the Roman Empire. These Christians were seriously considering turning back to Judaism as a means of avoiding persecution. In fact, the book is organized around five warning passages, imploring them not to turn back. The writer calls them to have faith in the eternal, efficacious, and effective Person and redemptive work of Christ. They are spiritually immature (5:12-14) and in danger of being carried about with various and strange doctrines (13:9a). They followed their past leaders (13:7) but they must also follow their present leaders (13:17).
I.THE PRINCIPLE OF AGGREEMENT
Hebrews 13:17 “Obey those who rule over you…”
The writer uses the phrase ‘those who rule over you’ three times in this chapter. In verse 13 he says ‘remember those who rule over you.’ In verse, 24 he says ‘greet all those who rule over you.’ In verse 17, he says ‘obey those who rule over you.’
The word translated ‘obey’ is the original word peitho. This verb is in the present tense, middle voice, imperative mood, and second person plural. The root meaning is to persuade or have confidence. It is used to describe the act of being convinced, assenting to evidence or authority, agreement, and trust.
Peitho is used in Acts 5:36-37. The apostles were on trial because they said ‘we ought to obey God rather than men.’ They also said God gave the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him. When they were plotting to kill the apostles, Gamaliel warned them not to and he reminded them of others who rose up. Gamaliel said, “For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed (peitho) him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed (peitho) him were dispersed.”
The principle of agreement is why people followed Hitler, Jim Jones, and David Koresh. Generally, we follow people because we agree with them on some level. We follow because we are convinced of their leadership and we therefore assent to their leadership. In principle, we agree with their goals or direction.
Next notice the rest of the phrase, ‘those who rule over you.’ This is all one word in the original text! It is the word hegeomai and it means to be a leader, chief, those who have influence and authority. It is a verb (leadership is something you do). It is present tense! It is middle voice, participle, plural (more than one), dative (indirect object ‘you,’ and masculine (no women)!
God expects the members of the church to follow His spiritual leadership. This includes the minister and the shepherds. The ancient prophet Amos said, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” We ought to agree church!
We ought to agree that…
Jesus is Lord and Savior
Jesus is the Head of the Church
The Bible is the word of God
There is one Lord, one Faith, and one Baptism
Baptism is essential for salvation
We need to save souls and make disciples
Truth trumps tradition
God wants a cappella music
We ought to agree that…
God is wise
God is holy
God is good
God is eternal
God is loving
God is merciful
God is gracious
We ought to agree that…
God wants us to love one another
God wants us to forgive one another
God wants us to pray for one another
God wants us to exhort one another
God wants us to encourage one another
God wants us to accept one another
God wants us to be kind to one another
Church it takes agreement!
It takes agreement to get to heaven
It takes agreement to defeat the devil
It takes agreement to save souls
It takes agreement to achieve goals
It takes agreement to build new buildings
It takes agreement to start nonprofits
It takes agreement to feed the hungry
It takes agreement to start and sustain ministries and services
II.THE PRINCIPLE OF AUTHORITY
Hebrews 13:17 “…and be submissive…”
The word here is powerful. It is hupeiko. It is a second person plural, present, active, imperative verb! Literally it means to submit, surrender, yield, and to cease to fight! The word means to stop fighting! Contextually it instructs church members to stop fighting their spiritual leaders!
We have an aversion to submission. Children don’t want to submit to their parents. Wives don’t want to submit to their husbands. Christians don’t want to submit to one another. Students don’t want to submit to teachers. Players don’t want to submit to coaches. Soldiers don’t want to submit to commanders. Christians don’t want to submit to the word of God. This is because we have equated submission with losing!
We may say amen to the principle of agreement but say no to the principle of authority. As followers, we have a multitude of tactics we use against submission. Most of us lack the skills and maturity we need to be successful followers. Therefore, in our frustration we resort to carnal and unspiritual methods. Unconsciously and consciously, we often fail at the ministry of following.
Here are some of our fighting tactics…
We set unrealistic expectations for our leaders.
We put our fear before our faith.
We make false comparisons between leaders.
We put personality above position.
We fail to recognize proper authority.
We fail to recognize leaders as a gift from the Lord.
We pick at leaders rather than praying for our leaders.
We compete against our leaders rather than cooperate with our leaders.
We question the competence of our leaders when results are not immediate.
We don’t put our own ambition, resentment, jealousy, or envy in check.
Ultimately, what we want to do is discredit, disrupt, and destroy in order to defend our disobedience! We try to discredit our leaders in a number of ways. They tried to discredit Moses (Num 12, 16), Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Jesus (Matt 12:9-14, 24), and Paul (2 Cor 10:7ff).
The objective of discrediting is to disrupt the influence and work. This is not limited to the church. This happens in the home. Wives discredit their husbands. Children discredit their parents. This happens everywhere. When a leader has been discredited, their work is disrupted and in many cases, he is destroyed!
III.THE PRINCIPLE OF ASSIGNMENT
Hebrews 13:17 “…for they watch out for your souls…”
Watch is agrupneo. It is a third person plural present active indicative verb. It means totally abstaining from sleep, to watch, and to be awake. Spiritually it means to be watchful and attentive to spiritual things.
As followers, we often fail to recognize the gravity of the assignment that our leaders hold. Spiritual leaders watch out for your souls. Although spiritual leaders must be conscious of the material needs of the flock, their ultimate assignment is the soul. Jesus said, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mt 16:26).
Here is the problem. Spiritual leaders are concerned about our souls, but we are more concerned about our flesh!
There is often a disparity in our concerns…
You are concerned about status
Leaders are concerned about souls
You are concerned about recognition
Leaders are concerned about souls
You are concerned about food
Leaders are concerned about souls
You are concerned about solos
Leaders are concerned about souls
You are concerned about positions
Leaders are concerned about souls
You are concerned about titles
Leaders are concerned about souls
You are concerned about feelings
Leaders are concerned about souls
We often fail to recognize that God has gifted and empowered spiritual leaders to fulfill their assignments. We frequently give little regard to fact that they have been trained to perform their assignment! We are like armchair quarterbacks thinking we can throw like the pros just because we have seen a few games!
The New Testament contains numerous descriptions of the assignment given to spiritual leaders. Paul told Timothy, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Tim. 4:12-16).
The minister must “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching…But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Tim 4:2, 5). Furthermore, Paul told Titus, “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you” (Titus 1:5).
The elders have an assignment also. “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made your overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28).
CLOSING
This leading and following is about our souls being saved! The Chief Shepherd left some under-shepherds to help lead His people on to glory! It ought to be perceived as a blessing to have somebody watching out for my soul!
I need somebody to let me know danger is lurking.
I need somebody to let me know the enemy is approaching.
I need somebody to let me know the Lord is coming soon.
I need somebody to pray for me when I am discouraged.
I need somebody to exhort me in times of weakness.
I need somebody to admonish me in times of wrong.
I need somebody to equip me for service.
I need somebody to help me understand the word a little more.
I need somebody who will speak the truth in love.
I need somebody to call on when I am sick.
I need somebody to lean on when times are hard.
I need somebody to talk to when I am uncertain.
I need somebody who understands my struggles.
I need somebody who cares about my soul.
The doctor cares about my body.
The lawyer cares about my case.
The accountant cares about my money.
The mechanic cares about my car.
The friend cares about my friendship.
The family cares about my presence.
The job cares about my performance.
But I need somebody who cares about my soul!
Peter said it, “For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 1:25).
