There is one passage of Scripture that is constantly on my mind more than any other right now. It comes from Hebrews 13:17-B. It is written…
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
“AS THOSE WHO WILL HAVE TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT’
I tremble every time I read Hebrews 13:17-B. Truth be told, those nine words are the second most weighty in all the Scripture for me (After 2 Timothy 4:1-2).
Hebrews 13:17-B means for me… (And for people on committees & even those who make motions in business meetings):
Every message I preach had better be true to God’s Word (The Bible)…
Every study I present had better be faithful to those same Scriptures…
Every decision I make on behalf of the people I shepherd had better come from God and not myself…
Every plan I implement had better be FIRST for God’s glory, then for the Church’s ultimate good…
I had better treat each member of the congregation with respect and love as The Bride of Christ…
I had better be sure to lead God’s people as HE would have me to…
I had better not please men over pleasing God…
And on and on and on.
Leading God’s people… The Bride of Christ… isn’t about pithy quotes on Twitter or new programs or fad ideas, it is about seeking God through prayer in fear and trembling because…
We make it our aim to please Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body (2 Corinthians 5:9-10)