He reported the injury to his officer and he was commanded to go to the local military hospital. When he arrived at the hospital he parked his car and entered the magnificent building. Immediately he saw two doors clearly marked.
• The sign on one said, “For the slightly wounded,” and the other said, “For the seriously wounded.”
• He entered the door marked, “For the slightly wounded.” Then he saw two more doors with writing across the top. Over one it said, “For officers.” Over the other was written, “For non-officers.”
• He entered the door marked, “For non-officers,” and immediately he saw two more doors with signs over them. One of the doors was marked, “For party members,” and the other was clearly marked, “For non-party members.”
• He entered the second, marked, “For non-party members,” and found himself out on the street where he had entered the building.
When the German soldier returned home he was asked by a family member, “Did you get the help that you needed at the hospital?” He replied, “Well, to tell you the truth, no one did anything for me, but you ought to see the tremendous organization they have!”
The soldier’s evaluation of the hospital was the same as could often be said of many of today’s churches. We are really organized, but we are not accomplishing very much.
Many times the people who come to our churches for help end up where they started, but they do see that we are organized.
In fact, the church takes pride in the fact it is ORGANIZED! We may not:
• Be winning many to the Lord, but we are organized.
• Be reaching young people for the Lord, but we are organized.
• Be meeting the needs of couples having trouble in their marriages, but we are organized.
• Be preaching and teaching the Word of God like we should, but we are organized.
• Be sending many missionaries to foreign fields, but we are organized.
Listen, no sensible person is against organization. The Bible clearly tells us God is not the author of confusion. Without a certain amount of organization you will have confusion. We just have to be careful not to spend so much time organizing that we forget the purpose for our existence.
Illus: Government is a good example of how this can happen. It is set up to serve the people, but often it gets so “organized” the officials forget why they are there. In America it has gotten so out of hand that THE PEOPLE SERVE THE GOVERNMENT instead of the government SERVING US!
Bad government can be a good picture of what happens when its purpose is forgotten.
Another good picture of what organization does when it loses its purpose for existing is seen in many churches.
Illus: One church had on its bulletin board, “For God so loved the world that He did not send a committee.”
Someone has said, “The best way to slow progress is to form a committee to do something about it.”
Someone else has said, “A committee usually keeps minutes and wastes hours.”
If Moses would have had a committee, he would never have gotten out of Egypt.
Again, no one, in his right mind, is against organization, but many understand that in organizing, we can lose sight of our purpose for existing.
Often the churches that are INEFFECTIVE are those who have lost sight of their PURPOSE FOR EXISTING.
Paul was concerned about the young converts in Thessalonica. He wanted to make sure they would not fall into this trap. If they were going to exist to be a witness of the gospel of Christ, they had to consider certain things, such as...
I. RESPECT FOR THE SERVANTS
The list of officers and leaders in churches can be long. For example,
Illus: There was one man who was...
• A Sunday school teacher.
• Chairman of the ushers.
• Chairman of the finance committee.
• Chairman of the property committee.
• Chairman of the grounds committee.
• Chairman of the cemetery committee.
• Chairman of the deacons.
• A singer in the choir when he was not ushering...
Illus: Some of our churches remind of the little old towns we used to laugh about because the same man was the Mayor, sheriff, dog catcher and tax collector.
We thank the Lord for those who are willing to serve and often carry heavy loads because there are some who are unwilling to serve.
However, God’s Word teaches there are three main positions in the church. The Pastor, teachers, and deacons. God’s Word further teaches that these servants are worthy of respect. That is...
• If you have a Sunday school teacher praying for you and seeking the Lord during the week about how to help you spiritually, that Sunday school teacher deserves your respect.
• If you have a deacon who is concerned about your spiritual welfare that deacon deserves your respect.
• If you have a pastor that, as a man of God, spends his time serving the Lord and doing the job of a pastor, that pastor deserves your respect.
The Bible teaches that the SERVANTS of the Lord deserve your respect. That is, they may never get anything else from you, but that is something you should be willing to give them.
Look at 1 Thess. 5, verses 12-13. We read, “And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.”
Look at the words, “And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake...”
The idea here is that we should esteem everyone in the church highly, but especially these SERVANTS OF THE LORD.
Notice, God’s Word did not say, “Esteem them highly.” He said, “Esteem them VERY highly.”
Why should they be treated with RESPECT? Because, they are doing the most important job on earth. Paul said they should be treated VERY HIGHLY for their WORK’S SAKE.
The job that God has given them is one of the greatest works that a person can do. As they serve God in this capacity and put the business of God ahead of everything else in their lives, THEY DESERVE RESPECT.
There is another reason these servants should be treated with respect. They should be treated with respect because God has placed them over His family to care for their spiritual needs.
Look at verse 12 again-- “And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are OVER YOU IN THE LORD, and admonish you...”
Often it is said of God’s servants as they make decisions based on what this Bible teaches, “WHO MADE THEM BOSSES?” The answer to that question is: GOD DID!
Look at the words, “...over you in the Lord...” These words imply position of leadership. They are responsible for leading God’s people. The family of God can not exist without leadership any more than a regular family can.
Illus: Show me a family where mom and dad are not exercising their rightful leadership and I will show you a family that is headed for destruction.
Likewise, show me a church where the pastor can not, or will not, take a stand and preach the Word of God, and where the deacons will not function in the role set up in God’s Word for them, and I will show you a church that is headed for destruction.
The same words we find in Thessalonians--”over you” can be found also in 1 Timothy 3:4-5,12, that teaches a father is to be over his family.
To “admonish” means: “To warn against bad behavior, to reprove, discipline.”
Illus: The word translated warn can also be found in Acts 20:31. There Paul said, “Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.”
We get the picture of Paul being like a loving dad, telling his children over and over again DO NOT DO THAT; DO THIS!
A dad that loves his children will warn them about dangers over and over. The children may not want to hear. They may get tired of hearing, nevertheless, the father who loves his children will warn them.
Paul told the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 4:14, “I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn (admonish) you.”
Illus: They may have gotten tired of his warning them, but IF THE DANGER IS THERE, SO SHOULD THE WARNING ALSO BE THERE!
Naturally, there is a right way and a wrong way to admonish people. But, the pastor who does not warn his people does not love them. There are many dangers out there. God’s children need to be warned about them.
Now, when the pastor does his job, the congregation can do one of two things. They can:
(1) REJECT THE WARNING. That is, they can be like rebellious teenagers who have been warned by their parents, but they did not respect them because the warning was contrary to what they wanted to do. Their response is TO SHOW DISRESPECT AND IGNORE THE WARNING.
The second thing they can do is:
(2) HEED THE WARNING. This is God’s way. This is why Paul said, verse 13, “And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.” This is the only way a church can have peace. This is the only way there can be peace in a family.
That is, when parents love their children and they see danger, they will warn them. And listen teenager, if you are smart, you will say, “I know that my parents love me and I know they would not do anything to hurt me and I will RESPECT what they say because they are the best friends I have.” AND THEY ARE!
You may have so-called friends that will tell you what you want to hear, but real friends will tell you what you ought to hear because they love you.
The same goes for congregations. When you hear warnings you pastor gives from the Bible, even when they go against everything you want to hear, you need to accept them and say, “God has placed this pastor over me to admonish and warn me and he is telling me what I must hear because he loves me.”
As the Word of God is preached, there has to be respect for the man of God who lovingly and courageously delivers it.
The minister’s role in the church is much like the father’s role in the family--there has to be respect for him.
There has to be RESPECT FOR THE SERVANT.
Some churches can not keep pastors. One of the chief reasons is because of the lack of respect. On the other hand, one of the reasons many pastors labor year after year in their harvest fields even though they are underpaid is because the people are loving, appreciative and respectful.
Every church is not able to pay a good salary, but every church member can BE RESPECTFUL TO GOD’S SERVANTS!
Conclusion/Summary:
(1 of 2)
I. RESPECT FOR THE SERVANTS
(2 of 2)
II. RESPECT FOR THE SAINTS
III. RESPECT FOR THE SERVICE
