Remember-Follow and Pray for Your Leaders

Hebrews 13:7-19

Sometimes, it’s hard to appreciate a leader who is less than perfect.

The question is: How can a congregation show appreciation to their less-than-perfect leaders? How can people in the pews care for the ones who care for their souls? How do you love a pastor in such a way that truly encourages him and benefits you, as well? Our verses this morning show us how to care for the spiritual leaders God has placed before us.

Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 

If you really want to love your leaders…REMEMBER THEM

Don’t remember them with plaques and pictures. Don’t honor them with monuments and mementos. Don‘t put their names on buildings, because the church is not all about them; it’s all about Jesus!

That doesn’t honor a godly leader; it should embarrass them.  No! If you truly want to honor your leaders past and present, let your life be a living legacy of the lessons-truths they taught you from God’s Word!

Imitate their faith. Trust Jesus as I did. Then experience His transforming power in your life just like I have. Listen, any good you see in your leaders is NOT something that came FROM them; it came TO them as they leaned heavily on Jesus!

A godly leader says in effect: “I’m one poor beggar telling or taking another poor beggar where there’s bread.

The Apostle Paul told his followers: 1 Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Then: FOLLOW THEM

If you want to love and honor your leaders, Follow their lead as they follow Jesus. Leaders don’t need to be perfect, but they should be able to show with their life that the power of Jesus is real and it impacts and transforms the individual life.      That demonstrates a faith that can actually be followed.

Hebrews 13:17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

Have confidence–Submit to their authority/leadership. Yield to their guidance and direction in your life.

What is a leader? Someone who has people following them…because if they have no one following them, they’re only taking a walk” God has called people to be leaders, so don’t let them just take a walk all by themselves.

Leaders must give an account to God for their leadership. They, answer to God for the condition of those that follow. Listen, leaders are not always right, but God always holds them responsible for what’s going on in the church.

Believe me when I say that humbles me and motivates me to be a SERVANT-LEADER, as 1 Peter 5 urges all pastors to be. 1 Peter 5:2-4 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, 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.

Leadership is NOT lordship. It is setting the example, communicating God’s vision, communicating God’s Word, and inviting others to follow. That’s how God calls a pastor to lead; and when you have such a pastor, God calls you to follow his lead.

Don’t follow a pastor (or anyone) who leads you in ways contrary to what God has directed in His Word. Don’t follow a pastor (or anyone) who tries to domineer and control you. Don’t follow a pastor (or anyone) who is not setting a godly example for you to follow. But when you get a pastor who communicates God’s vision both in his words and his life, follow him!

Re-read NKJV Hebrews 13:17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. NKJV

It does not benefit us to give our leaders grief. It’s not useful. It’s not profitable. Why? Because we ALL need a leader; we ALL need a coach.

We ALL can benefit from a coach, and that’s what your church leaders are. They are life coaches, called to teach you, and equip you to serve, not just to survive but to thrive!  Ephesians 4:11-13  So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

The goal is Christlikeness, and none of us can get there on our own. So if we want to grow, if we want to be the best we can be in our dependence upon Jesus, then yield to your leader’s guidance and direction.

If you really want to love and honor your leaders, REMEMBER THEM, FOLLOW THEM; but most importantly…PRAY FOR THEM

Plead with God on their behalf to keep them pure and honorable.

That’s what this 1st Century leader, the author of Hebrews, asks His followers to do for him: Hebrews 13:18-19 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. ¹⁹ I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.

The author of Hebrews wants to act honorably in all things, and he wants to keep a clear conscience. He wants God to uphold his relationships, his reputation, and his integrity. He knows he can’t do it without the Lord’s help, so he asks people to pray for him. So confident in prayer!

Prayer is the best thing you can do for your leaders. Ask God to preserve their relationships, their reputation, and their integrity. Plead with God to keep them loving, honorable, and pure, because they are under tremendous pressure and constant attacks from the enemy. Satan knows that if he can get a leader in the church to fall, he can bring down a lot of people with him.

So, please, pray for your leaders. Please, pray for me! So I don’t because of my actions, weaken the faith of anyone who is under my care.

So, If you really want to love and honor your leaders, REMEMBER THEM by the way you live your life; FOLLOW THEM; and PRAY FOR THEM.

As leaders care for people and people care for leaders, everyone benefits: the whole church grows; people’s lives are transformed; and God is glorified!

Hebrews 13:20-25 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, ²¹ equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

²² Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact, I have written to you quite briefly. ²³ I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. ²⁴ Greet all your leaders and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings. ²⁵ Grace be with you all.

This is a fitting end for a book that documents the passing of the Old Covenant and the institution of the New Covenant.